Williams FW09

Williams FW09
Williams FW09B
Category Formula One
Constructor Williams
Designer(s) Patrick Head
Neil Oatley
Predecessor FW08
Successor FW10
Technical specifications[1][2]
Chassis Aluminium honeycomb monocoque with carbon fibre stress points
Suspension (front) Double wishbone, rocker-operated inboard spring damper
Suspension (rear) Lower wishbone, rocker-operated inboard spring damper/Double wishbone, pullrod-operated inboard spring damper
Axle track Front: 1,778 mm (70.0 in)
Rear: 1,676 mm (66.0 in)
Wheelbase 2,769 mm (109.0 in)
Engine Honda RA163-E, 1,494 cc (91.2 cu in), 80° V6, turbo, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission Williams / Hewland 6-speed Manual
Weight 558 kg (1,230.2 lb) (FW09)
540 kg (1,190.5 lb) (FW09B)
Fuel Mobil
Tyres Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants TAG Williams Racing Team
Notable drivers 5. France Jacques Laffite
6. Finland Keke Rosberg
Debut 1983 South African Grand Prix
RacesWinsPolesF.Laps
17100
Constructors' Championships 0
Drivers' Championships 0

The Williams FW09 was a Formula One car designed by Patrick Head and Neil Oatley. It was the first Williams chassis to be powered by a turbocharged Honda V6 engine, for which Frank Williams negotiated a deal towards the end of 1982 and the beginning of 1983.

Honda was already supplying the small Spirit team for 1983, but was enthusiastic about supplying Williams, who not only had the reigning World Champion Keke Rosberg as lead driver, but were one of the leading constructors in Formula One who had previously won both the Drivers' and Constructors titles on multiple occasions, a résumé that Spirit (nor their young driver Stefan Johansson) could not hope to match. Williams had agreed to help develop the engine under Grand Prix race conditions.

Keke Rosberg won the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix in a Williams FW09.

1983

The chassis was built from aluminium with carbon fibre used at stress points and was based on the reasonably successful 1983 Williams FW08C. The engine cover had to be redesigned as the car was powered by a smaller, but more powerful (850 bhp (634 kW; 862 PS)) V6 engine rather than the 530 bhp (395 kW; 537 PS) Cosworth V8 that powered the FW08C. The front of the car was also redesigned giving the car cleaner aerodynamics. The FW09 was introduced at the South African Grand Prix, the last race of the 1983 season, which was nothing more than a shakedown exercise. Rosberg showed the potential of both car and engine by qualifying sixth and finishing in fifth place while team mate Jacques Laffite started 10th but spun off under braking for Crowthorne Corner at the end of the long main straight on lap two, his car ending up in the tyre barrier and out of the race.

1984

The car was then raced in the 1984 season by Rosberg and team mate Laffite. Both drivers found extra power of the engine to their liking, but not the chassis which suffered from the sudden bursts of power that the Honda gave, upsetting the balance of the car. Furthermore, the car body was found to produce a lot of drag at high speeds. The problems with the 1984 chassis were noted by broadcaster Clive James, opining in FOCA's season review video that "Rosberg had managed to make the Williams look driveable, which everyone including Frank Williams knew it really wasn't".[3]

Reliability was also a problem, with Laffite only recording five finishes during the whole season, but the basic speed was there with the Honda powered FW09 consistently among the fastest cars through the speeds traps on many tracks. Indeed both drivers recorded a top speed of 310 km/h (193 mph) in qualifying and the race at the 1984 South African Grand Prix (although it wasn't as fast as the Brabham-BMWs which recorded 325 km/h (202 mph) in qualifying). Rosberg had a more successful year than Laffite, managing to tame the car's unpredictable handling by winning the Dallas Grand Prix for his and the team's first win since the 1983 Monaco Grand Prix, and giving Honda its first Formula One Grand Prix win since John Surtees won the 1967 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

A modified version of the car dubbed the FW09B was introduced in Round 8 of the season at Brands Hatch for the 1984 British Grand Prix. Unfortunately from that race until the end of the season both Rosberg and Laffite only recorded one finish each and neither was in the points. Rosberg was 8th at the Dutch Grand Prix while Laffite ended the season in Portugal with a disappointing 14th place, following which the FW09 was retired. Williams, which along with Ferrari and Brabham were one of the few race winners in a season dominated by McLaren drivers Niki Lauda and Alain Prost, finished sixth in the constructors' championship in 1984 having scored 25.5 points.

The FW09 was retired following the 1984 season. It was replaced in 1985 by the all carbon fibre and more successful Williams FW10.

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine Tyres Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts. WCC
1983 TAG Williams Racing Team FW09 Honda RA163-E
V6 tc		 G BRA USW FRA SMR MON BEL DET CAN GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR RSA 2 11th
Finland Keke Rosberg 5
France Jacques Laffite Ret
1984 TAG Williams Racing Team FW09
FW09B		 Honda RA163-E
V6 tc		 G BRA RSA BEL SMR FRA MON CAN DET DAL GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR POR 25.5 6th
Finland Keke Rosberg 2 Ret 4 Ret 6 4 Ret Ret 1 Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret
France Jacques Laffite Ret Ret Ret Ret 8 8 Ret 5 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 14

References

  1. ↑ http://www.attwilliams.com/team/timeline
  2. ↑ Williams FW09 @ StatsF1
  3. ↑ 'Two Till The End' (1984) - VHS - EAN: 5017559030650 - Publisher: Duke Video - Studio: Formula One Constructors Association
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