In 1999, the agreement between the English Williams team and BMW was announced for the exclusive supply of the new Bavarian V10 engine, scheduled for the 2000 season. In the final months of 1999, BMW completed the development of its new E41/4 engine and, together with Williams, decided to install it on the 1999 FW21 chassis for a test at Zeltweg on the A1 Ring circuit, with BMW test driver Jörg Müller at the wheel. This was just the beginning of a partnership that would last until 2005, allowing Williams to once again become a front-runner in Formula 1, while also enabling BMW to return to the top tier of motorsport after the successes it had enjoyed in the 1980s with its M12/13 L4T inline-four turbo engine, mounted on the Brabham BT52 that won the World Championship with Nelson Piquet.
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| WILLIAMS FW22, Ralf Schumacher Suzuka, Japanese GP 2000 |
BMW’s involvement, however, went far beyond being a mere engine supplier, it represented a genuine collaboration between the Grove-based team and the Bavarian giant. On January 10, 2000, the team was officially unveiled in Munich by Wolfgang Ziebart, member of the board of BMW AG Motorsport, and was named the BMW Williams Formula One Team. The partnership with BMW also meant greater financial resources for Williams to invest in research and development, as well as new and capable technical staff arriving from the German manufacturer. The new FW22 was unveiled on January 24 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. It was not a radical revolution, but rather a simple evolution of the previous FW21, as the first year with BMW was inevitably considered a learning season for the German engine manufacturer’s return to Formula 1.
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| WILLIAMS FW22, Jenson Button Hungaroing, Hungarian GP 2000 |
Under the guidance of the ever-present Technical Director Patrick Head, the new car’s design was once again entrusted to Gavin Fisher and Geoff Willis. Brian O’Roake remained Chief Engineer for Composite Materials, Mark Tatham continued as Chief Mechanical Engineer, and the increasingly crucial aerodynamics department was still led by Jason Sommerville and Nick Alcock. This engineering group, working together since 1997, was a well-oiled team, now joined by two German engineers from BMW: Paul Rosche, appointed Head Engine Designer, and Werner Laurenz, appointed Engine Technical Director. Fischer and Willis’ design philosophy for the FW22 was an evolution of the previous wind tunnel-tested design, despite the FW21’s lackluster performance in 1999. That car had, however, been based on the winning concepts developed by Adrian Newey, which were still solid foundations to build upon. All modifications to the new car were made specifically to accommodate the new BMW E41/4, a V10 with a 72° bank angle. During development, the new German engine produced only 750 hp at 17,000 rpm, but within a few months its output rose significantly to 810 hp at 17,500 rpm. Unfortunately for Williams engineers, the BMW engine was considerably larger and heavier than the previous Supertec-Renault, forcing them to completely rethink weight distribution and the suspension layout.
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| WILLIAMS FW22, Janson Button Nürburgring, European GP 2000 |
The wheelbase was lengthened by a full 7 cm, and the chassis was completely redesigned. Made from a carbon and aramid epoxy composite, it used the engine as a fully stressed member. The gearbox was also completely new, a classic semi-automatic sequential unit built by Williams, but for the first time with seven speeds on a Grove Formula 1 car. The nosecone and sidepods were very similar to those of the FW21, albeit with slightly more rounded shapes. The airflow deflectors ahead of the sidepod intakes were removed, but wind tunnel work was evident in the nose’s lower section, which was no longer linear but featured complex shapes to better channel air toward the underbody. The rear wing was mounted to the bodywork via two endplates, and on high-downforce circuits it was fitted with additional flaps. Small winglets were also added ahead of the rear wheels and on top of the engine cover. With BMW’s arrival and the new title sponsor Compaq, the Grove cars also received a new livery, now adopting BMW’s classic white-and-blue colors, a scheme reminiscent of the victorious Brabham-BMWs of the 1980s.
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| WILLIAMS FW22, Ralf Schumacher Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 2000 |
On the driver front, German Ralf Schumacher was retained, while for the second seat, following the disappointing stint with two-time IndyCar Series champion Alessandro Zanardi, the team decided to take a chance on a rookie, promising British driver Jenson Button. Despite the many changes, the new FW22 proved to be a good car: fast and competitive, though not quite on par with Ferrari or McLaren-Mercedes. In Schumacher’s hands, it even achieved three podium finishes, one of them in the very first race of the season in Australia, along with five other points finishes. Button also made the most of the FW22, scoring points on six occasions, an excellent result for a debutant. The strong performance of the engine and the solid qualities of the FW22 allowed the BMW-Williams team to score 36 points and finish third in the Constructors’ Championship, injecting a strong dose of confidence ahead of the 2001 season.
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