WILLIAMS FW14 Renault

   Renault’s decision to return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier in 1989, joining forces with Patrick Head, technical director of Williams, did not yield the desired results in the first two seasons of collaboration. This was largely due to the overwhelming dominance of the McLaren-Honda partnership, which had continuously secured both championships since 1988. The new Williams FW14, one of the most technologically advanced and innovative single-seaters in Formula 1 history, was born from the shared need of both Williams and its partner Renault to make a significant qualitative leap.

WILLIAMS FW14, Nigel Mansell
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1991

   The project was entrusted to Adrian Newey, who had arrived from March in mid-1990 and immediately began working on the new car for the 1991 season. Up to that point in his relatively short Formula 1 career, the British designer had created cars that were highly innovative from an aerodynamic standpoint, often to the point of being overly extreme and difficult to fine-tune. March’s limited financial resources had never allowed proper development of Newey’s forward-thinking ideas, which was one of the reasons for the Bicester team's poor results in 1989 and 1990. However, the budget provided by Williams and the collaboration with one of the greatest technical directors of all time, Patrick Head, enabled Newey to fully realize his concepts, resulting in a futuristic car that was also easy to set up and drive. His obsessive attention to detail was evident even in the front wing, which, lacking a raised nose, featured a small upward-pointing central ridge to improve airflow beneath the car. On either side of the wing were interesting endplates that anticipated those commonly used on modern single-seaters, and the aerodynamics were finely honed and free of sharp edges, in pursuit of optimal flow toward the rear wing and diffuser.

WILLIAMS FW14, Riccardo Patrese
Monza, Italian GP 1991

   Renault's commitment, embodied by engineer Bernard Dudot who, like Honda, served as the engine development lead, completed the picture. The combination of the powerful French engine and the Grove-based cars led to the creation of some of the most advanced machines ever seen in top-level racing until the modern era. Their victories would be crushing, ushering in a technical dominance that would be hard to dislodge and would bring Williams four Drivers' Championships and five Constructors' Championships between 1992 and 1997. The FW14 project was so compelling that it convinced Nigel Mansell to shelve his retirement plans and return to Frank Williams’ team after a controversial two-year stint with Ferrari.

WILLIAMS FW14, Nigel Mansell
Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexican GP 1991

   The car was powered by the new Renault V10 RS3C engine, producing 700 hp at 12,500 rpm. It was significantly lighter and more compact than the previous year's unit, featuring pneumatic valve actuation and, later, variable-length intake trumpets to improve throttle response during acceleration. Even in its original 1991 version, the FW14 was undoubtedly the most sophisticated car on the grid. Thanks to Paddy Lowe, an English engineer with Williams since 1987 as chief electronics engineer, the car made significant strides in driver-assistance systems and utilized an electronic sequential gearbox developed by Lowe himself. The suspension remained “mechanical,” with a classic push-rod configuration, while the harmonious and balanced bodywork was the work of aerodynamic engineer Eghbal Hamidy. The FW14 debuted at the opening race of the 1991 season and immediately proved to be extremely fast, though not yet reliable. In the first five races, despite strong qualifying performances and running at the front during races, drivers Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese managed only two second places and one third place. Most of the problems, particularly affecting Mansell, stemmed from the fragility of the new semi-automatic gearbox. Starting with the Mexican Grand Prix, Williams engineers resolved the early issues, and for the remainder of the season’s middle portion, the FW14 dominated, allowing its drivers to win seven races, five by Mansell and two by Patrese.

WILLIAMS FW14, Riccardo Patrese
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1991 

   Only the rock-solid reliability of McLaren, with the extraordinary Senna at the wheel, combined with a bit of bad luck (in Canada, Mansell was leading when the car shut down due to an electrical failure on the final lap) and some pit crew mistakes (in Portugal, after dominating the early part of the race, Mansell was disqualified due to a tire change error by the mechanics), prevented the Briton from securing his first world title and Williams from winning the Constructors’ Championship. Nevertheless, the British team ended the season second in the Constructors’ standings with 125 points, while Mansell and Patrese finished second and third respectively in the Drivers’ Championship. Despite Senna's triumph with McLaren, the superiority of the Grove-built car was evident, and even Ayrton Senna realized that McLaren would be starting the following season at a technical disadvantage in their title defense.