On Friday, the 2021 Formula 1 season will kick off with the official three-day test in Bahrain. Accordingly, we begin the week with a closer look at three historic Grand Prix cars that we saw in action during the truncated 2020 historic racing season. The most interesting of the trio is this Brabham BT49D Cosworth. This is the eighteenth and final example of the World Championship winning BT49 built by Brabham. It was raced only once in period but for many years held the distinction of being the only BT49 not owned by former Brabham supremo Bernie Ecclestone. In 2005, chassis BT49D/18 was driven to the Historic Formula One Championship and today, it is part of a Belgian historic racer's formidable stable.
Not quite as successful is this Ensign N179 Cosworth. Fielded throughout the 1979 season, it only made the grid four times and in races could do no better than thirteenth. As can be seen in our gallery, the N179 does give the owner an entry for all the major events like the Monaco Historic Grand Prix.
In the year that Nelson Piquet drove the BT49 to the World Championship, Williams fielded the FW07C of which the final example is featured today. It was raced by Carlos Reutemann and Keke Rosberg with a third as the best result. Retained by Williams for many years, chassis FW07C/17 is now a front runner in historic racing.
The Williams due to make its on-track debut at Bahrain is the FW43B. As the name suggests, it is an evolution of the car fielded last year due the development limitations agreed to for this year. Just like in 2020, Williams will use the hugely potent Mercedes-Benz power unit.

Enjoy the links:

1982 Brabham BT49D Cosworth (BT49D/18)

1979 Ensign N179 Cosworth (MN09)

2021 Williams FW43B Mercedes

1981 Williams FW07C Cosworth (FW07C/17)