Williams FW16
Encyclopedia
The Williams FW16 was a Formula One
car used by the Williams
team for the 1994 Formula One season
. It was designed by Adrian Newey
with the major regulation changes that the FIA
had introduced in the off-season, banning the electronic devices that had been used by the front running cars during the preceding two seasons.
The FW16 was a passive evolution of the FW15C
that had preceded it. It featured revised bodywork, with a low profile engine cover and enclosed driveshaft and an anhedral rear wing lower element, the latter being hinted at in the preceding FW15C, and a narrower nose. In addition to these changes it featured an innovative rear suspension wishbone design and an improved version of the Renault Sport Formula One engine (RS6). In addition it featured a fuel valve to enable the ability for mid race refuelling.
As with the previous season, the number 0 car was driven by Damon Hill
for the entire year, as reigning champion Alain Prost had taken his number 1 with him when he left the sport. The number 2 car was driven by Ayrton Senna
, David Coulthard and Nigel Mansell. The car proved to be a tricky proposition in early testing and in the early part of the season. A design flaw was discovered in the car's frontal section and there were attempts to remedy this in time for the ill-fated third race, the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix
. Various other alterations were made by Adrian Newey and Patrick Head
to alleviate the car's handling problems . Ultimately, however, the FW16 will forever be remembered as the car in which Ayrton Senna was fatally injured
whilst in the lead of the San Marino Grand Prix.
Williams later introduced a B-spec car, featuring the compulsory open airbox rear and featuring shorter sidepods that the FW16. This car was developed by Hill, but the Benetton B194
and Michael Schumacher
were dominant in the first half of the season. Rookie test driver David Coulthard
shared the second car with former champion Nigel Mansell
(who also had IndyCar
commitments). The engine was a Renault
RS6 3.5 V10
. Their main sponsor was Rothmans
, replacing Camel Cigarettes and Canon used on the FW14
and FW15C.
, and suffered from a very narrow driveability setup window that made it difficult to drive until the modifications to become the FW16B. This can be seen when Senna, pushing to close the gap between himself and Schumacher, spun out of second place during the Brazilian Grand Prix
, and by the identical spins in practice by Hill and Senna at Aida, with Senna commenting on the Aida practice spin: "I can't explain it. I was actually in one of my best positions at that corner when it went. It looked silly and stupid but better it happens today than tomorrow."
Senna commented as follows on the FW16 during early season testing:
"I have a very negative feeling about driving the car and driving it on the limit and so on. Therefore I didn't have a single run or a single lap that I felt comfortable or reasonably confident."
"I am uncomfortable in the car, it all feels wrong. We changed the seat and the wheel, but even so I was already asking for more room." "Going back to when we raced at Estoril last September (on testing the passive Williams at the same track 4 months later), it feels much more difficult. Some of that is down to the lack of electronic change. Also, the car has its own characteristics which I'm not fully confident in yet. It makes you a lot more tense and that stresses you."
Patrick Head subsequently removed a section of the chassis to give Senna more space. However the new passive Williams FW16 had its shortcomings. The car was springy and unstable, with aerodynamic deficiencies which the revolutionary rear suspension could not mask.
Even after the initial Imola modifications mentioned earlier, the car maintained its tendency of dynamically changing its handling balance (understeer/oversteer) for any given setup. A short account of a driver briefing which Ayrton Senna gave to Adrian Newey and David Brown at Imola describing this exact characteristic can be seen in the 2010 Senna movie by Universal Pictures. Notably, in this exchange Senna describes the car as being "worse" than before.
It is also alleged that in a personal conversation about the FW16 between Prost and Senna in early 1994 Prost had admitted that the FW15C had not consistently been as easy to drive as others had assumed in '93, exhibiting odd behaviour at times. Being more nervous than the preceding FW14B when driven at the limit this manifested itself in slight rear-end instability under braking, most notable on high speed circuits when the car was operating in a low downforce trim, attributed to small changes in weight distribution from the year before. Other reasons given were that the FW15C, and by extension the FW16, were simply an evolution of the FW14B, which had been designed to suit the driving style of Nigel Mansell. The major aerodynamic difference between the three cars being the anhedral rear wing and downward sloping rear bodywork of the FW16.
Adrian Newey, designer of the FW16 commented as follows:
"To be honest we made a bloody awful cock-up. The rear-end grip problem was purely a setup problem. We were learning about springs and dampers all over again after concentrating on active suspension for two years, whereas most people had been away for just one. We also had a rather silly aerodynamic problem - basically the front wing was too low - but that was raised for Imola, by which time we were looking in pretty good shape."
. This version featured a longer wheelbase, revised front and rear wing, shortened sidepods and the compulsory opened rear on the airbox and cowling in accordance with FIA regulations following the accidents at Imola. The shortened sidepods arose due to a necessity to use larger barge boards after the front wing endplate diffusers were banned. Hill battled Schumacher for the championship but lost by a single point in the final race in Australia
, but Hill's hard work meant that Williams won the constructors' championship that season.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
car used by the Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
team for the 1994 Formula One season
1994 Formula One season
The 1994 Formula One season was the 45th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1994 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 27, 1994, and ended on November 13 after sixteen races. The season is remembered as one of the most tragic and controversial seasons in...
. It was designed by Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey is a notable Formula One engineer and widely regarded one of the great engineers in the sport's history. He is the only designer to have won Constructors Championships with three different Formula One teams...
with the major regulation changes that the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
had introduced in the off-season, banning the electronic devices that had been used by the front running cars during the preceding two seasons.
The FW16 was a passive evolution of the FW15C
Williams FW15C
The Williams FW15C was a Renault-powered Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey and built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. It was raced by Alain Prost and Damon Hill during the 1993 Formula One season....
that had preceded it. It featured revised bodywork, with a low profile engine cover and enclosed driveshaft and an anhedral rear wing lower element, the latter being hinted at in the preceding FW15C, and a narrower nose. In addition to these changes it featured an innovative rear suspension wishbone design and an improved version of the Renault Sport Formula One engine (RS6). In addition it featured a fuel valve to enable the ability for mid race refuelling.
As with the previous season, the number 0 car was driven by Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
for the entire year, as reigning champion Alain Prost had taken his number 1 with him when he left the sport. The number 2 car was driven by Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
, David Coulthard and Nigel Mansell. The car proved to be a tricky proposition in early testing and in the early part of the season. A design flaw was discovered in the car's frontal section and there were attempts to remedy this in time for the ill-fated third race, the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix
1994 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 1, 1994 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy. It was the third race of the 1994 Formula One season...
. Various other alterations were made by Adrian Newey and Patrick Head
Patrick Head
Patrick Head , is co-founder and Engineering Director of the Williams Formula One team.For 25 years from Head was technical director at Williams Grand Prix Engineering, and responsible for many innovations within Formula One. Head oversaw the design and construction of Williams cars until May 2004...
to alleviate the car's handling problems . Ultimately, however, the FW16 will forever be remembered as the car in which Ayrton Senna was fatally injured
Death of Ayrton Senna
The death of three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna on May 1, 1994, occurred as a result of his car crashing into a concrete barrier while he was leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy. The previous day, Roland Ratzenberger had been killed...
whilst in the lead of the San Marino Grand Prix.
Williams later introduced a B-spec car, featuring the compulsory open airbox rear and featuring shorter sidepods that the FW16. This car was developed by Hill, but the Benetton B194
Benetton B194
The Benetton B194 was designed by Rory Byrne for the 1994 F1 season. The car was closely based on the previous Benetton B192/3 and powered by a Ford Zetec-RV8 engine . The electronic driver aids that had had such an effect on F1 over the previous seasons were banned, so the car had to be redesigned...
and Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
were dominant in the first half of the season. Rookie test driver David Coulthard
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons...
shared the second car with former champion Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
(who also had IndyCar
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
commitments). The engine was a Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
RS6 3.5 V10
V10 engine
A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...
. Their main sponsor was Rothmans
Rothmans International plc
Rothmans International plc was a British tobacco manufacturer. Its brands included Rothmans and Dunhill. Its international headquarters were in Hill Street, London and its international operations were run from Denham Place, Denham Village in Buckinghamshire...
, replacing Camel Cigarettes and Canon used on the FW14
Williams FW14
The Williams FW14 was a Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey, used by the Williams team during the 1991 and 1992 Formula One seasons. The car was born out of necessity, as the 1989 and 1990 seasons had proven competitive for Williams, but they had underachieved in their own and Renault's eyes....
and FW15C.
Chassis
The car configuration included a distinctive anhedral rear wing lower element, the effectiveness of which depended on a low outboard tail section, which was achieved by totally enclosing the driveshafts within wing-section carbon fibre composite shrouds that doubled as the upper wishbones. This shroud was removable in case it was deemed to be outside the imposed regulations.Engine
The car was powered by a 67-degree V10 engine by Renault Sport termed the RS6 specification. Its power was transmitted by means of a revised and lightened version of the six-speed transverse gearbox used the previous year.Electronics
The FW16 featured power-assisted steering, hydraulically driven and reacting to input from electronic sensors, a system that drew heavily from the knowledge gained from the teams active suspension technology. It lacked the fully automatic gear change system of the preceding year and was restricted to a "semi-automatic" transmission.Imola modifications
Early season performance of the FW16 indicated that it had shortcomings. Specifically, the window of driveability/setup in which the car was competitive was very narrow. In addition to this, the car had a tendency of dynamically changing its handling balance (understeer/oversteer) for any given setup. The first comprehensive set of modifications to widen this driveability window were introduced at Imola. These included a revised nose profile with the wings positioned slightly higher, new aerodynamic end plates which were slightly taller, a revised wheelbase and a re-shaped (white) cockpit surround. Other cockpit changes were designed to accommodate Ayrton's desire to be made more comfortable in the car and included changes to the steering column design to adjust the steering wheel position in line with Senna's personal preference. This included welding an additional extension onto the steering column.Criticisms
The car was shown to have severe shortcomings at its debut. The FW16 lacked the active suspension and traction control of the previous season's FW15CWilliams FW15C
The Williams FW15C was a Renault-powered Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey and built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. It was raced by Alain Prost and Damon Hill during the 1993 Formula One season....
, and suffered from a very narrow driveability setup window that made it difficult to drive until the modifications to become the FW16B. This can be seen when Senna, pushing to close the gap between himself and Schumacher, spun out of second place during the Brazilian Grand Prix
1994 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 27, 1994 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo. It was the first race of the 1994 Formula One season.- Pre-Race :...
, and by the identical spins in practice by Hill and Senna at Aida, with Senna commenting on the Aida practice spin: "I can't explain it. I was actually in one of my best positions at that corner when it went. It looked silly and stupid but better it happens today than tomorrow."
Senna commented as follows on the FW16 during early season testing:
"I have a very negative feeling about driving the car and driving it on the limit and so on. Therefore I didn't have a single run or a single lap that I felt comfortable or reasonably confident."
"I am uncomfortable in the car, it all feels wrong. We changed the seat and the wheel, but even so I was already asking for more room." "Going back to when we raced at Estoril last September (on testing the passive Williams at the same track 4 months later), it feels much more difficult. Some of that is down to the lack of electronic change. Also, the car has its own characteristics which I'm not fully confident in yet. It makes you a lot more tense and that stresses you."
Patrick Head subsequently removed a section of the chassis to give Senna more space. However the new passive Williams FW16 had its shortcomings. The car was springy and unstable, with aerodynamic deficiencies which the revolutionary rear suspension could not mask.
Even after the initial Imola modifications mentioned earlier, the car maintained its tendency of dynamically changing its handling balance (understeer/oversteer) for any given setup. A short account of a driver briefing which Ayrton Senna gave to Adrian Newey and David Brown at Imola describing this exact characteristic can be seen in the 2010 Senna movie by Universal Pictures. Notably, in this exchange Senna describes the car as being "worse" than before.
It is also alleged that in a personal conversation about the FW16 between Prost and Senna in early 1994 Prost had admitted that the FW15C had not consistently been as easy to drive as others had assumed in '93, exhibiting odd behaviour at times. Being more nervous than the preceding FW14B when driven at the limit this manifested itself in slight rear-end instability under braking, most notable on high speed circuits when the car was operating in a low downforce trim, attributed to small changes in weight distribution from the year before. Other reasons given were that the FW15C, and by extension the FW16, were simply an evolution of the FW14B, which had been designed to suit the driving style of Nigel Mansell. The major aerodynamic difference between the three cars being the anhedral rear wing and downward sloping rear bodywork of the FW16.
Adrian Newey, designer of the FW16 commented as follows:
"To be honest we made a bloody awful cock-up. The rear-end grip problem was purely a setup problem. We were learning about springs and dampers all over again after concentrating on active suspension for two years, whereas most people had been away for just one. We also had a rather silly aerodynamic problem - basically the front wing was too low - but that was raised for Imola, by which time we were looking in pretty good shape."
Williams FW16B
Following the Imola changes the car was again incrementally updated and labelled as FW16B by the German Grand Prix1994 German Grand Prix
The 1994 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 31, 1994 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim. It was the ninth race of the 1994 Formula One season....
. This version featured a longer wheelbase, revised front and rear wing, shortened sidepods and the compulsory opened rear on the airbox and cowling in accordance with FIA regulations following the accidents at Imola. The shortened sidepods arose due to a necessity to use larger barge boards after the front wing endplate diffusers were banned. Hill battled Schumacher for the championship but lost by a single point in the final race in Australia
1994 Australian Grand Prix
The 1994 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 13, 1994 at the Adelaide Street Circuit. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1994 Formula One season. The race is remembered for an incident involving the two title contenders Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher which...
, but Hill's hard work meant that Williams won the constructors' championship that season.
Williams FW16C
The FW16C was a testcar fitted with a 3 litre engine as per the 1995 F1 regulations. It was used between December 20–22 in 1994 at Paul Ricard by Damon Hill, Jean Christophe Boullion and Emmanuel Collard.Complete Formula One results
(results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Team | Engine | Tyre | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rothmans Williams WilliamsF1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head... |
Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... RS6 / RS6B / RS6C V10 V10 engine A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion... |
BRA 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 27, 1994 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo. It was the first race of the 1994 Formula One season.- Pre-Race :... |
PAC 1994 Pacific Grand Prix The 1994 Pacific Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 17, 1994 at the TI Circuit, Aida. It was the second race of the 1994 Formula One season. Ayrton Senna started the race from his 64th pole position, but was overtaken by Schumacher before the first corner and was hit by Mika... |
SMR 1994 San Marino Grand Prix The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 1, 1994 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy. It was the third race of the 1994 Formula One season... |
MON 1994 Monaco Grand Prix The 1994 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 15, 1994 at the Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo. The race, which was the fourth race of the 1994 Formula One season, was won by Michael Schumacher and was the first race following the death of Ayrton Senna in San Marino.- Background... |
ESP 1994 Spanish Grand Prix The 1994 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 29, 1994 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona. It was the 36th Spanish Grand Prix to be held since the first was held at Guadarrama in 1913. It was the fourth to be held at Circuit de Catalunya... |
CAN 1994 Canadian Grand Prix The 1994 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 12, 1994 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal. It was the sixth round of the 1994 Formula One season.-Race:... |
FRA 1994 French Grand Prix The 1994 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 3, 1994 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours. It was the seventh race of the 1994 Formula One season.-Race:... |
GBR 1994 British Grand Prix The 1994 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 July, 1994 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone. It was the eighth race of the 1994 Formula One season. It marked the halfway stage of the season... |
GER 1994 German Grand Prix The 1994 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 31, 1994 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim. It was the ninth race of the 1994 Formula One season.... |
HUN 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 14, 1994 at the Hungaroring, Budapest. It was the tenth race of the 1994 Formula One season.... |
BEL 1994 Belgian Grand Prix The 1994 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 28, 1994 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa. It was the eleventh race of the 1994 Formula One season.-Background:... |
ITA 1994 Italian Grand Prix The 1994 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 11, 1994 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza. It was the twelfth race of the 1994 Formula One season.... |
POR 1994 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1994 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 25, 1994 at the Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril. It was the thirteenth race of the 1994 Formula One season.-Qualifying:-Race:- Notes :... |
EUR 1994 European Grand Prix The 1994 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 16, 1994 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Jerez, Spain. It was the fourteenth race of the 1994 Formula One season.- History :... |
JPN 1994 Japanese Grand Prix The 1994 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 6, 1994 at the Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka. It was the fifteenth and penultimate race of the 1994 Formula One season.... |
AUS 1994 Australian Grand Prix The 1994 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 13, 1994 at the Adelaide Street Circuit. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1994 Formula One season. The race is remembered for an incident involving the two title contenders Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher which... |
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| Damon Hill Damon Hill Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title... |
2 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Ret | ||||||
| Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time... |
Ret | Ret | Ret Death of Ayrton Senna The death of three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna on May 1, 1994, occurred as a result of his car crashing into a concrete barrier while he was leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy. The previous day, Roland Ratzenberger had been killed... |
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| David Coulthard David Coulthard David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons... |
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| Nigel Mansell Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series... |
Ret | Ret | 4 | 1 |