1998 Williams FW20
Fresh off securing their ninth Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, Williams unveiled the FW20 to take on the 1998 season. Powered by a 3-litre Mecachrome V-10 engine capable of screaming up to a mesmeric 16,000 rpm, the car propelled the team to 3rd place in the standings, driven by defending World Champion Jacques Villeneuve and his teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
This particular example, chassis 03, was raced by Villeneuve in three Grands Prix. The flamboyant Canadian debuted the car at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, qualifying 4th in Melbourne and finishing 5th at the flag. Although a collision with McLaren rival David Coulthard dashed his hopes in Argentina after qualifying 7th, Villeneuve bounced back at the San Marino Grand Prix, where he qualified 6th and climbed to 4th by the finish.
Following its stint as a race car, chassis 03 was reassigned as a spare and used extensively for testing. Notable Williams alumni—including Juan Pablo Montoya, Frentzen, Alex Zanardi, and Max Wilson—logged crucial development miles in this storied machine.
Photography courtesy of ©2024 RM Sotheby’s, and ©2024 Williams Racing
