WILLIAMS FW12C Renault

   After the successes achieved with the excellent Honda-powered FW11 and the subsequent loss of the exceptional Japanese engines, in 1988 the Williams team found itself without an engine capable of allowing its single-seaters to fight for top positions. Frank Williams thus decided to completely terminate the contract with Honda, which in 1988 had provided the British team with the old 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 engines prepared by Judd, and instead embraced the new project from the French manufacturer Renault. Renault, already present in Formula 1 since the late 1970s as a pioneer of turbo engines with its own cars and later as a supplier of its V6 turbo engines to other teams between 1976 and 1986, decided to re-enter the sport once again as an engine supplier, this time with a brand-new project.

WILLIAMS FW12C, Thierry Boutsen
 Hockenheimring, German GP 1989

   With the return of naturally aspirated engines on the horizon and after resolving internal budgetary issues, in 1989 Renault debuted the new, powerful, and reliable RS1 engine in the Williams cars—a 3493 cc V10 capable of delivering 650 hp at 12,500 rpm from its very first outing. The designer of the French V10 was Renault Sport's longtime engineer Bernard Dudot, also the creator of the V6 Turbo, who had begun developing the RS1 at the end of 1987 in preparation for a grand comeback in the 1989 season. The French power unit was supplied exclusively to Williams, where, under the leadership of Patrick Head, Frank Dernie, and Enrique Scalabroni, only marginal modifications were made to the sound FW12 from 1988, whose poor performance was solely due to the outdated Judd V8 engine.

WILLIAMS FW12C, Thierry Boutsen
 Phoenix, USA GP 1989

   Thus, the chassis of the new Williams FW12C was modified only in terms of engine mounts, while aesthetically, the car featured new, wider sidepods with redesigned air intakes to improve thermal dissipation. Other than that, the vehicle remained virtually identical to the FW12, with the same Williams/Hewland six-speed transverse gearbox, the same pull-rod suspension layout, the same 1803 mm front track, a slightly reduced rear track, and a slightly longer wheelbase of 2997 mm due to the increased length of the French V10 compared to the Judd V8.

WILLIAMS FW12C, Riccardo Patrese
Monza, Italian GP 1989

   Italian driver Riccardo Patrese was confirmed at the wheel of the FW12C, while the British driver Nigel Mansell, who had moved to Ferrari, was replaced by Belgian Thierry Boutsen. Thanks to the quality of the design and the consistency of the two drivers, the FW12C allowed the team to bounce back after a year of complete crisis, delivering performances that proved sufficiently competitive despite less-than-exceptional reliability. In fact, the Canon Williams Team ended the 1989 season as runner-up in the Constructors’ Championship, behind only McLaren, which won most of the races. Patrese finished third in the Drivers' Championship, behind the two McLaren-Honda drivers, Prost and Senna. Progress was also evident in qualifying results: Patrese secured a pole position, and both cars often qualified between second and fourth place. Boutsen finished fifth in the championship but, unlike his teammate, also won the Canadian Grand Prix.

WILLIAMS FW12C, Riccardo Patrese
Silverstone, British GP 1989

   The FW12C did not complete the entire 1989 season, as it was replaced from the Portuguese Grand Prix onward by the new FW13 model, built around the new Renault engine, though it initially proved to be not particularly reliable. In the following race, Patrese returned to the FW12C, while Boutsen continued with the FW13, which would only fully replace the older model in the final two races of the season. A curious note: in December 1989, former World Champion James Hunt tested the FW12C at the French Paul Ricard circuit, achieving quite respectable lap times, although not sufficient to persuade the British driver to make a sensational return to Formula 1.