The Williams FW17 was a Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey with which the Williams team competed in the 1995 Formula One season. It was driven by Damon Hill, who was in his third year with the team, and David Coulthard, who was in his first full season after a part-time role in 1994.
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| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Williams | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Patrick Head, Adrian Newey | ||||||||
| Predecessor | FW16 | ||||||||
| Successor | FW18 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications[1][2] | |||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre and Kevlar monocoque | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | pushrod, bellcrank, torsion spring | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | pushrod, bellcrank, torsion spring | ||||||||
| Engine | Renault RS7, 3,000 cc (183.1 cu in), 67° V10 NA mid-engine, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Williams transverse 6-speed semi-automatic | ||||||||
| Fuel | Elf | ||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Rothmans Williams Renault | ||||||||
| Notable drivers | 5.  Damon Hill6. David Coulthard | ||||||||
| Debut | 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
With what was regarded as the best chassis in the field combined with the best engine,[3] the 1995 season was disappointing for the team, who were beaten to both titles by Michael Schumacher and Benetton. Although the FW17 was superior in qualifying trim, taking 12 pole positions, 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, 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.
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
(key) (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Rothmans Williams Renault | Renault RS7 V10 |
G | BRA | ARG | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | EUR | PAC | JPN | AUS | 112 | 2nd | ||
| FW17 | Damon Hill | Ret | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | Ret | 2 | Ret | Ret | 1 | 2 | Ret | 3 | ||||||||||
| FW17B | Ret | 3 | Ret | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FW17 | David Coulthard | 2 | Ret | 4 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 1 | ||||||||||
| FW17B | P | 3 | 2 | Ret | Ret |
References
- Henry, Alan (ed.) (1995). AUTOCOURSE 1995-96. Hazleton Publishing. pp. 48–51. ISBN 1-874557-36-5.
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- ^ http://www.statsf1.com/en/williams-fw17.aspx
- ^ http://www.statsf1.com/en/williams-fw17b.aspx
- ^ Henry, Alan (ed.) (1995). AUTOCOURSE 1995-96. Hazleton Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 1-874557-36-5.
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External links
