1979 Williams FW07

1998 marked the 50th year of racing at the Silverstone circuit and at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting that year there was a display of fifty cars, one for each of those years.

This is the car representing 1979, the Williams FW07, and appears to be chassis FW07/02 from the Williams Grand Prix Collection. The Williams FW07 had the 2,993 V8 Ford Cosworth DFV engine, was designed by Patrick Head, Frank Dernie and Neil Oatley, and bears a close resemblance to Colin Chapman's Lotus 79. In spite of the fact that it didn't appear till the fifth race of that season and teething troubles meant that the cars of both Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni retired in their first two races the FW07 finished in second place in the World Constructors' Championship. Alan Jones won four races and ended the season in third place in the World Drivers' Championship, Clay Regazzoni winnng one race and with a further four podium places finished in fifth place in that Championship. In 1980 Alan Jones won the World Driver's Championship in the FW07 and Carlos Reutemann was in third place, second being Nelson Piquet in the Brabham BT49. Williams won the World Constructors' Championship that year, and again in 1981 though it was Nelson Piquet in his Brabham who claimed the World Drivers' Championship that year, Reutemann and Jones finishing in second and third places.