The Williams FW17 was a Formula One

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 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 which 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 competed in the 1995 Formula One season

1995 Formula One season

The 1995 Formula One season was the 46th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship, which was contested over 17 races from March 26 to November 12, 1995. For the second year in succession, the Drivers' Championship was won by Michael Schumacher,...

. It 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...

, who was in his third year with the team, and 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...

, who was in his first full season after a part-time role in .

With what was regarded as the best chassis in the field combined with the best engine, the 1995 season was disappointing for the team, who were beaten to both titles by 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...

 and Benetton

Benetton Formula

Benetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from to . The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000 the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for...

. Although the FW17 was superior in qualifying trim, taking 12 pole position

Pole position

The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...

s, Schumacher was usually more competitive on race day, and was able to win nine races against Hill and Coulthard's combined total of five. This situation was not helped by both drivers making several unfortunate errors during the course of the season.

For the Portuguese GP

1995 Portuguese Grand Prix

The 1995 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 24, 1995 at the Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril, Portugal. It was the thirteenth race of the 1995 Formula One season...

, the Williams FW17B was used for the first time. In its five races, it took four pole positions and two victories, but the titles were already just about out of reach due to the success of Schumacher and his Benetton B195

Benetton B195

The Benetton B195 was a Formula One car designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn for use by Benetton in the 1995 Formula One season. The B195 was almost identical to the Benetton B194 but a change of engine supplier from Ford to Renault caused a redesign of the engine installation, gearbox and rear...

.

The team eventually finished second in the Constructors' Championship, with 112 points.

The FW17 is notable for being the first Williams car to race with a raised nose.

Complete Formula One results

(results in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	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...  RS7 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 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 26, 1995 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo, Brazil. It was the first round of the 1995 Formula One season. The race, contested over 71 laps, was won by Michael Schumacher for the Benetton team after...	ARG 1995 Argentine Grand Prix The 1995 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 9, 1995 at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was the second round of the 1995 Formula One season and was the first Formula One race to take place in Argentina since...	SMR 1995 San Marino Grand Prix The 1995 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 30, 1995 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola. It was the third race of the 1995 Formula One season....	ESP 1995 Spanish Grand Prix The 1995 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 14, 1995 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona. It was the fourth race of the 1995 Formula One season. It proved to be the final race for former champion Nigel Mansell, who quit the McLaren team after the race...	MON 1995 Monaco Grand Prix The 1995 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 28, 1995 at the Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco. It was the fifth round of the 1995 Formula One season. The race, contested over 78 laps, was won by Michael Schumacher for the Benetton team after starting from...	CAN 1995 Canadian Grand Prix The 1995 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 11, 1995 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal. It was the sixth race of the 1995 Formula One season....	FRA 1995 French Grand Prix The 1995 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 2, 1995 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours. It was the seventh race of the 1995 Formula One season. Michael Schumacher extended his championship lead over Damon Hill to 11 points. As had happened in many seasons,...	GBR 1995 British Grand Prix The 1995 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 16, 1995 at Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, England. It was the eighth round of the 1995 Formula One season. The race, contested over 61 laps, was won by Johnny Herbert for the Benetton team after...	GER 1995 German Grand Prix The 1995 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 30, 1995 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim. It was the ninth race of the 1995 Formula One season...	HUN 1995 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1995 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 13, 1995 at the Hungaroring, Budapest. It was the tenth race of the 1995 Formula One season....	BEL 1995 Belgian Grand Prix The 1995 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 27, 1995 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa. It was the eleventh race of the 1995 Formula One season. Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill both qualified further down the grid than usual in a wet-dry qualifying session, but...	ITA 1995 Italian Grand Prix The 1995 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 10, 1995 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the twelfth race of the 1995 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, was won by Johnny Herbert for the Benetton team after starting...	POR 1995 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1995 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 24, 1995 at the Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril, Portugal. It was the thirteenth race of the 1995 Formula One season...	EUR 1995 European Grand Prix The 1995 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 1, 1995 at the Nürburgring, Nürburg, Germany. It was the fourteenth round of the 1995 Formula One season and the first to be held there since...	PAC 1995 Pacific Grand Prix The 1995 Pacific Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 22, 1995 at the TI Circuit, Aida, Japan. It was the fifteenth round of the 1995 Formula One season. The race, contested over 83 laps, was won by Michael Schumacher for the Benetton team after starting from third...	JPN 1995 Japanese Grand Prix The 1995 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 29, 1995 at the Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka. It was the sixteenth and penultimate round of the 1995 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, was won by Michael Schumacher for the Benetton team after he started...	AUS 1995 Australian Grand Prix The 1995 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 12, 1995 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide. It was the seventeenth and final race of the 1995 Formula One season...	112	2nd
		FW17			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...	Ret	1	1	4	2	Ret	2	Ret	Ret	1	2	Ret
		FW17B																3	Ret	3	Ret	1
		FW17			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...	2	Ret	4	Ret	Ret	Ret	3	3	2	2	Ret	Ret
		FW17B																1	3	2	Ret	Ret