Page 1 of 1 The Williams Formula 1 team had a very strong end to the 1985 season with the Honda-engined FW10 scoring victories in the last three rounds of the World Championship. Designed by Patrick Head and Frank Dernie, the FW10 had been the team's first car built around a carbon-fibre composite monocoque and understandably would form the basis of the new-for-1986 FW11.
Slightly wider and longer than its predecessor, the FW11 featured a similar monocoque that was made in-house at the new Williams factory in Didcot. Double-wishbone suspension was fitted all-round with push-rods actuating the front springs and dampers, while at the rear pull-rods were fitted. Stopping power was provided by AP Racing sourced ventilated carbon ceramic discs.
The FW11 was powered by the latest 'RA166E' evolution of the twin-turbo Honda V6 that was rated at well over 800 bhp for the races, during which the now mandatory 195-litre fuel tank formed a limiting factor. For qualifying, as much as 1,200 bhp was on tap. The powerful Honda engine was mated to a six-speed manual gearbox that combined a Williams casing with Hewland internals.
To drive the FW11, Frank Williams hired who he described as the best driver in the world; two-time World Champion Nelson Piquet. He took over from Keke Rosberg and joined Nigel Mansell. Together, Mansell and Piquet absolutely dominated the World Championship with the FW11, which combined great speed with unrivalled fuel efficiency. Mansell won five Grands Prix and Piquet scored four wins. Williams ended the year as Constructors' Champion but Mansell missed out on the Drivers' title after a tyre exploded spectacularly down the Adelaide straight in the final race.
For the 1987 season, the successful team was kept together and the existing car evolved into the FW11B. This featured improved cooling, a more efficient engine and a hydraulic computer-controlled active suspension system. Now bitter rivals, Mansell and Piquet fought for the championship throughout the year. Despite winning only three races against Mansell's five, Piquet ended the battle in his favour, grabbing his third title. Williams again ended the year as World Champions as well.
Both Piquet and Honda left Williams at the end of the year, abruptly ending a two-season dominance. The FW11 and its FW11B derivatives remains as one of the all-time great Formula 1 designs. These achievements are even impressive considering Frank Williams had its near fatal accident that left him a tetraplegic at the start of the 1986 season. Page 1 of 1
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The Williams Formula 1 team had a very strong end to the 1985 season with the Honda-engined FW10 scoring victories in the last three rounds of the World Championship. Designed by Patrick Head and Frank Dernie, the FW10 had been the team's first car built around a carbon-fibre composite monocoque and understandably would form the basis of the new-for-1986 FW11.