In 1998, the Williams team could finally once again display the number 1, which, despite numerous championships won in the previous decade, had not appeared on the cars from the Grove-based team since 1983, following Keke Rosberg's title win. In the subsequent years, it had never been possible for Sir Frank's team to race with number 1 because none of its drivers, apart from Jacques Villeneuve, remained with the team after winning the world championship. From Piquet in '87 to Hill in '96, passing through Mansell in '92 and Prost in '93, Williams always seemed little interested in retaining its champions, a tradition broken fifteen years after Nico Rosberg's father’s triumph, with the son of the great Gilles Villeneuve earning the chance to carry the sport's most coveted number. The car in question was the brand-new FW20, completely redesigned starting with its livery. After years of blue-and-white coloring, first with Canon and Camel sponsorships and more recently with Rothmans, the tobacco sponsor Rothmans International chose to dress the FW20 in the colors of its Winfield brand. The new livery was therefore completely red with white and gold inserts, not entirely unprecedented for Williams, as in the 1970s before Walter Wolf's acquisition, their cars had also been white and red, but now looking very similar to Ferrari’s and therefore not well received by the English team's fans.
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| WILLIAMS FW20, Jacques Villeneuve Suzuka, Japanese GP 1998 |
With new technical regulations coming into force this season, cars were now required to comply with a reduced maximum track width, down from 200 cm to 180 cm, in an attempt to reduce cornering speeds. For the same reason, new grooved tires were introduced, with three longitudinal grooves on the front tires and four on the rear, forcing engineers to rethink not only the track width but also the entire suspension system to make better use of the new rubber. Under the supervision of long-time technical director Patrick Head, the design of the car was entrusted to Gavin Fisher, who this season had to prove his skills without Adrian Newey, who had been responsible for Williams’ cars since 1990 and had moved to McLaren in 1997, by his side. From the previous technical staff, Geoff Willis was retained as head of aerodynamics, joined by two young engineers, Jason Sommerville and Nick Alcock. The technical department was further strengthened with the hiring of Brian O'Roake as chief composite materials engineer and Mark Tatham as chief mechanical engineer.
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| WILLIAMS FW20, Jacques Villeneuve Montréal, Canadian GP 1998 |
Despite the FW20 appearing at first glance to be a simple evolution of its predecessor, the FW19, it was in fact an entirely new car. Starting with the chassis, it now featured a completely redesigned, higher, and thinner nose. The sidepods were entirely new as well, larger and longer to meet the updated safety regulations, which now included mandatory lateral crash tests in addition to frontal ones. The air intakes were redesigned with a rounder shape, and two small fins were added ahead of the rear wheels to redirect airflow over the tires. A new engine cover and air intake above the driver’s head were introduced, along with a revised rear diffuser, wings, and countless other composite components. The new push-rod suspension with double wishbones and torsion bars was joined by a new Williams-built six-speed longitudinal semi-automatic gearbox, stiffer and more compact than before.
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| WILLIAMS FW20, Heinz-Harald Frentzen Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1998 |
The engine powering Williams’ 1998 challenger, however, deserves a separate mention. After nine years of tremendous success thanks to the Williams-Renault partnership, which brought the team five Constructors’ titles and four Drivers’ Championships, the French engine manufacturer decided to temporarily withdraw from Formula 1, handing over their powerful V10 RS9 to their affiliate Mecachrome. The unit was rebranded as the GC37/01 and supplied to Williams and Benetton under a paid customer contract, meaning no direct factory support and, crucially, no further development. The Mecachrome GC37/01 was essentially the old Renault RS9 with minor cylinder head modifications to reduce weight. While its renowned reliability remained intact, its power quickly proved inadequate compared to Ferrari and Mercedes, who, thanks to continued development, soon surpassed the French engine by about fifty horsepower. The car was entrusted to the same driver lineup as the previous season: Canadian reigning World Champion Jacques Villeneuve and German Heinz-Harald Frentzen. However, from the first test laps at the Catalunya-Barcelona circuit in Spain, it became clear that the FW20’s performance was no match for Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes. The season’s results reflected this, with Williams dropping from 123 points in 1997 to a meager 38 in 1998, still enough to secure third place in the Constructors’ Championship. Frentzen’s third place in the opening race in Melbourne, along with two other podium finishes by Villeneuve at Hockenheim and the Hungaroring, were the season's highlights. Villeneuve managed some consistency by finishing in the points on seven other occasions, but he was realistically unable to defend his title.
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| WILLIAMS FW20, Jacques Villeneuve Nürburgring, Luxembourg GP 1998 |
Frentzen, meanwhile, endured a lackluster season, plagued by retirements throughout the central phase of the championship. For the first time in 10 years, the historic English team failed to win a single race, a drought that would last until 2001, when Ralf Schumacher finally ended it with a victory at Imola. The car's shortcomings and an uncertain technical future for Williams led a frustrated Villeneuve to leave the team at the end of the year, announcing his move to the newly formed BAR.
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