<< Prev Page 2 of 2 During the remainder of the season, the turbo-charged Renaults and Ferraris proved faster than the Williams FW08. Rosberg nevertheless consistently managed to rake in the points. The reliably Fin ultimately managed to score only one win, at the Swiss Grand Prix after starting a lowly eighth on the grid. Despite taking just a single victory, Rosberg's consistency and the misfortune of the principle rivals proved sufficient for him to claim the World Championship. Williams was only fourth in the constructor's table.
During the off-season testing period one of the main reasons for the shortened wheelbase was revealed as Williams commenced testing an FW08 with four rear wheels. These provided added traction and also freed up room for longer ground effect tunnels. The FW08B was understood to be blisteringly quick in testing but the car was never raced as for 1983, cars were limited to just four wheels. Additionally, ground effect aerodynamics were banned altogether with the introduction of a mandatory flat bottom.
The ground effect ban came relatively late in the year, forcing most teams, including Williams to adapt their existing design. The result was the FW08C, which looked significantly different than its immediate predecessor but actually used the same chassis and running gear. The changes focused on the side pods, which no longer needed to run the full length of the car for the ground effect tunnels. Instead very minimalistic side pods were fitted on either side of the engine to house the radiators.
By 1983, the turbocharged cars were as reliable as they were quick, which left Williams drivers Rosberg and Jacques Laffite fighting for ever smaller scraps. Rosberg did manage to win the Monaco Grand Prix on the streets of Monte Carlo where power is not that critical. There was light at the end of the tunnel as Williams commenced testing the Honda turbo-engined FW09 in the fall of 1983. As the last Cosworth DFV powered and ground effect car to win the World Championship, the Williams FW08 represents an end of era. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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During the remainder of the season, the turbo-charged Renaults and Ferraris proved faster than the Williams FW08. Rosberg nevertheless consistently managed to rake in the points. The reliably Fin ultimately managed to score only one win, at the Swiss Grand Prix after starting a lowly eighth on the grid. Despite taking just a single victory, Rosberg's consistency and the misfortune of the principle rivals proved sufficient for him to claim the World Championship. Williams was only fourth in the constructor's table.