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 The Williams FW14B being exhibited | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Williams (chassis, transmission, electronics) Renault Sport (engine) | ||||||||||
| Designers | Patrick Head(Technical Director) Adrian Newey(Chief Designer) Paddy Lowe(Head of Special Projects) Steve Wise(Head of Electronics) Frank Dernie(Head of Chassis) Eghbal Hamidy(Chief Aerodynamicist) Bernard Dudot(Chief Engine Designer) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | FW13B | ||||||||||
| Successor | FW15C | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications[1][2] | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre andhoneycomb composite structure | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | 1991: Pushrod, inboard spring / dampers 1992:Active suspension | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | 1991: Pushrod, inboard spring / dampers 1992:Active suspension | ||||||||||
| Engine | 1991–1992:Renault RS3C, 3,493 cc (213.2 cu in), 67°V10,NA,mid-engine,longitudinally mounted. 1992:Renault RS4, 3,493 cc (213.2 cu in), 67°V10,NA,mid-engine,longitudinally mounted. | ||||||||||
| Transmission | Williams 6 speedsequentialsemi-automatic[3] | ||||||||||
| Power | 700–750 bhp (522–559 kW; 710–760 PS) @ 12,500–13,000 rpm | ||||||||||
| Fuel | Elf | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | CanonWilliams Team | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | 5. Nigel Mansell6.  Riccardo Patrese | ||||||||||
| Debut | 1991 United States Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| First win | 1991 Mexican Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last win | 1992 Japanese Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last event | 1992 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 1 (1992) | ||||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 1 (1992,Nigel Mansell) | ||||||||||
TheWilliams FW14 is aFormula One car designed byAdrian Newey, used by theWilliams team during the1991 and1992 Formula One seasons. The car was driven byNigel Mansell andRiccardo Patrese.
The development of the Williams FW14 was prompted by team's underachievement in the1989 and1990 seasons despite being competitive. In mid-1990, Adrian Newey, a renowned aerodynamicist, joined the team and started to work on the new car. Newey had previously designed cost-effective and efficient cars forMarch and was now able to apply his ideas to a fully-funded project with Williams. The FW14 was a completely new design, except for the engine, and its promising performance was enough to convinceNigel Mansell to rejoin Williams fromFerrari and delay his retirement plans.[4]
Powered by a 3.5-litreV10 Renault engine with its design and development led byBernard Dudot, the car is considered one of the most technologically sophisticated to have competed in Formula One. By 1992 the FW14B featuredsemi-automatic transmission,active suspension,traction control and, for a brief period,anti-lock brakes. With the aerodynamics as designed by Newey and the active suspension invented by designer/aerodynamicistFrank Dernie, the car was far ahead of its competitors, such as theMcLaren MP4/7A,Ferrari F92A orLotus 107, and it made for a strong package. The FW14B was so successful that its successor (the initialFW15), which was available mid-season in 1992, was never used.[5]
The FW14 made its debut at the1991 United States Grand Prix. The car was the most technically advanced car in competition, but various difficulties during the season stymied the team's early progress.Nigel Mansell andRiccardo Patrese recorded 7 victories between them but the Drivers' Championship was wrapped up byAyrton Senna in theMcLaren MP4/6, which had better reliability.
Williams had the faster car throughout the balance of the season and it provided a run of good form in the midseason for both Mansell and Patrese. Mansell, in particular, had several retirements due to the then new-for-Williams semi-automatic transmission, with most of these retirements occurring while in a position to win races. Patrese was impressive on several occasions and retired while leading twice. McLaren's superior reliability told in the Constructors' Championship as well, as they narrowly took the title from Williams.[6]
A total of 5 chassis were built.
In 1992, after further development work was done to the gearbox and aerodynamics, and electronics technology such as a traction control and active suspension system were added, the B-spec. FW14, known as the FW14B was introduced for the 1992 season. The FW14B was the dominant car that year and Mansell wrapped up the 1992 Drivers' Championship with a then-record 9 wins in a season, whilst Patrese scored a further win at the Japanese Grand Prix. Patrese did not warm to the car as much as the FW14, as he preferred the passive suspension in that chassis, whereas the increased level of downforce generated by the FW14B suited Mansell's aggressive driving style much better. The main visible difference between the FW14 and FW14B were a pair of bulbous protrusions above the latter's front pushrods, which contained the active suspension technology.[7][8] The FW14B also featured a longer nose section.[9][10] The car had been present at the Australian Grand Prix the previous year, but Mansell had elected to use the regular FW14 in that race.
The result was that there were many races in the 1992 season where Mansell and Patrese would gain 2 seconds per lap on the rest of the field, especially in the early laps, which made the FW14B far superior to even the next best car, theMcLaren MP4/7A. Another example of Williams's dominance that year was at qualifying at theBritish Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Mansell's pole position-winning lap was a whole 2 seconds faster than Patrese, who in turn was a second faster than 3rd placedAyrton Senna. Williams were clear winners of the 1992 Constructors' Championship, but the season ended in acrimony as Mansell left the team afterAlain Prost was signed, while Patrese moved toBenetton for his swansong season in 1993.
Both versions of the FW14 won a combined 17 Grands Prix, 21 pole positions, and 289 points before being replaced with theFW15C for 1993. Given that current F1 regulations ban many of the technologies used by the FW14B and FW15C, these are considered among the most technologically advanced racing cars to have ever raced in Formula One.[11]
On 2 June 2017, the Williams F1 team celebrated 40 years in Formula One with a media day at Silverstone race circuit. The FW14B was driven for the first time since 1992 for a number of laps byKarun Chandhok. The car did several laps on its own around the circuit; it then performed 3 laps accompanying the 2014Williams FW36 driven byPaul di Resta.
A total of six chassis were built. The numbering continued from the FW14, so FW14B serial numbers 6 through 11 were built.
In 2020, it was revealed thatSebastian Vettel boughtNigel Mansell's no. 5 FW14B, the same chassis that won the 1992 F1 world title.[12]
The Williams FW14B appears in the video gameF1 2013 as part of the "F1 Classics"downloadable content. In May 2017,Codemasters announced that the car will appear inF1 2017 as one of the classic cars. It also appears inF1 2018,[13]F1 2019,[14] andF1 2020.
On 5 July 2019, the Williams FW14B chassis number FW14/8 was sold for £2,703,000 at auction byBonhams at the 2019Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Retired four-time Formula One World ChampionSebastian Vettel droveNigel Mansell's Williams FW14B at the 2023Goodwood Festival of Speed along withAyrton Senna'sMcLaren MP4/8.[15]
Scale model kits of the FW14 and FW14B have been released by companies such as Hasegawa, Tamiya and Fujimi.
The FW14B had aLego Icons set (no. 10353) that was released on 1 March 2025. It also includes a Nigel Mansell minifigure.
(key) (results shown inbold indicate pole position; results initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | CanonWilliams Team | FW14 | Renault RS3C V10 | G | USA | BRA | SMR | MON | CAN | MEX | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | ESP | JPN | AUS | 125 | 2nd | |
| Nigel Mansell | Ret | Ret | Ret | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 1 | DSQ | 1 | Ret | 2 | |||||||
| Riccardo Patrese | Ret | 2 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 1 | 5 | Ret | 2 | 3 | 5 | Ret | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | |||||||
| 1992 | CanonWilliams Team | FW14B | Renault RS3C / RS4 V10 | G | RSA | MEX | BRA | ESP | SMR | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | AUS | 164 | 1st | |
| Nigel Mansell | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Ret | 1 | Ret | Ret | |||||||
| Riccardo Patrese | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ret | 2 | 3 | Ret | 2 | 2 | 8 | Ret | 3 | 5 | Ret | 1 | Ret |
| Brand | Country | Placed on |
|---|---|---|
| Canon |  Japan | Sidepods, nose, front wing, rear wing |
| Save The Children | United Kingdom | Side |
| Magnetti Marelli | Italy | Nose |
| Renault |  France | Sides, nose |
| Elf | France | Sides, nose |
| Labatt's |  Canada | Sidepods, nose |
| Camel |  United States | Fin, nose |
| Bull | France | Front wing end plate |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Autosport Racing Car of the Year 1992 | Succeeded by |
