↗ Gianclaudio ‘ Clay ’ Regazzoni in his FW07 , Monaco , 1979

This car gave Williams Grand Prix Engineering its first win when Clay Regazzoni took the chequered flag here at the 1979 FORMULA 1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX . In the days when F1 ® cars were used for longer than a single season , it was also the machine that turned the team from battling privateers to regular front-runners and , ultimately , World Championship winners .

A product of the ground-effect era , it was constructed on the lines of the pioneering Lotus 79 but was small and light and made better use of the aerodynamic under-body suction than the Lotus . It had wide sidepods , an extremely stiff monocoque chassis and inboard suspension for efficient aerodynamic flow .

On its debut in Spain , the car was clearly quick but both drivers , Clay Regazzoni and Alan Jones , retired . The Australian then led in Belgium , but the engine failed and then he crashed out in Monaco . After changes were made to improve the car ’ s aerodynamic efficiency , it took its first win here at Silverstone with the team ’ s Swiss driver , with Jones then going on to win the next three races in a row .

In 1980 , the car evolved into the FW07B , with the ground effect becoming so efficient there was no longer a need for a front wing . Stronger suspension and better knowledge on set-up made the car faster , while the addition of a Judd-developed Cosworth DFV , which had more power , and a smaller fuel tank compared to its rivals , also gave it an edge .

Williams won its first Constructors ’ title and Jones claimed the Drivers ’ crown that year , with Jones and new team-mate Carlos Reutemann securing six wins between them . Then in 1981 , despite a ban on ground-effect , they secured Williams a second Constructors ’ title .

Williams continued to use the FW07 into the first three races of 1982 while it waited on its new FW08 , securing two more podiums with second place finishes for Reutemann in South Africa and Keke Rosberg in its final race in the US West race at Long Beach . The car was also developed with four powered rear wheels ( after Tyrrell had shown promise with their P34 six-wheeler ) in a ‘ D ’ specification , but it was never raced . •

TECH SPECS

CHASSIS : Aluminium honeycomb monocoque ENGINE : Ford Cosworth DFV , 3-litre , normally aspirated V8 TRANSMISSION : Hewland 5-speed manual TYRES : Goodyear / Michelin

FACTS DESIGNER : Patrick Head , Frank Dernie , Neil Oatley DEBUT : Spanish Grand Prix , 1979

CHAMPIONSHIPS : CONSTRUCTORS ’: 2 ( 1980 , 1981 ) DRIVERS ’: 1 ( Alan Jones , 1980 )

98