Williams FW09

Williams FW09
Williams FW09B

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Category	Formula One
Constructor	Williams
Designer(s)	Patrick Head Neil Oatley
Predecessor	FW08
Successor	FW10
Technical specifications
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. Jacques Laffite 6. Keke Rosberg
Debut	1983 South African Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F.Laps 17 1 0 0
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".

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
					Keke Rosberg															5
					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
					Keke Rosberg	2	Ret	4	Ret	6	4	Ret	Ret	1	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret
					Jacques Laffite	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	8	Ret	5	4	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	14

References

Books