Williams FW09

Racing car


Category = Formula One | Car_name = Williams FW09
Constructor = Williams | Team = Saudia Leyland Williams Honda Team
Designer = Patrick Head
Neil Oatley
Drivers = 5. flagicon|UK Jacques Laffite
6. flagicon|Finland Keke Rosberg
Test drivers = flagicon|Japan Satoru Nakajima
Chassis = Aluminium honeycomb monocoque
Front suspension = Double wishbone, rocker-operated inboard spring damper
Rear suspension = Lower wishbone, rocker-operated inboard spring damper/Double wishbone, pullrod-operated inboard spring damper
Engine position =
Engine name = Honda RA 163E
Capacity = 1500 cc
Turbo/NA = Turbo-charged
Configuration = V6
Gearbox name = Williams/Hewland
Gears = 6-speed
Type =
Differential =
Tyres = Goodyear
Fuel = Mobil | Debut = 1983 South African Grand Prix
Races = 17
Cons_champ = 0
Drivers_champ = 0
Wins = 1
Poles = 0
Fastest_laps = 0

The Williams FW09 was a Formula One car designed by Patrick Head and Neil Oatley. It was the first Williams chassis to be powered by a turbocharged engine, the Honda V6, which Frank Williams negotiated a deal for towards the end of 1982 and the beginning of the F1|1983 season. Honda already supplied the small Spirit team, but was enthusiastic about supplying Williams, who agreed to help develop the engine under Grand Prix conditions.

The chassis was built from aluminium with carbon fibre used at stress points, and was based on the reasonably successful 1983 Williams FW08C, but had the engine installation redesigned around the small but hugely powerful new engine. The car was introduced at the South African Grand Prix at the end of the 1983 season, which was nothing more than a shakedown exercise, but Keke Rosberg brought the car home in fifth place.

Rosberg and tam mate Jacques Laffite found the engine to their liking but not the chassis which suffered from the sudden bursts of power than the Honda gave, upsetting the balance of the car. Furthermore, the car body produced a lot of drag at high speeds. Reliability was not great, with Laffite only recording five finishes during the whole season, but the basic speed was there with the Williams' consistently among the fastest cars through the speeds traps on many tracks. Rosberg had a more successful year than Laffite, managing to tame the car's unpredictable handling and winning in Dallas, Honda's first Grand Prix win since 1967.

Williams finished sixth in the constructors' championship that season and the FW09 was retired, replaced by the far more effective Williams FW10.

References

;Books
*cite book| last =Hamilton| first =Maurice (ed.)| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =AUTOCOURSE 1984-85| publisher =Hazleton Publishing| date= 1984| location =| pages =| url =| doi =| id =ISBN 0-905138-38-4