OUTSIDE THE F1 PADDOCK

WILLIAMS’ ROSTER OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR activities is nearly as impressive as its GP results. Did you know, for instance, that it developed the mighty MG Metro 6R4 rally car in 1984, and the Le Mans-winning BMW V12 LMR of 1999? Few will forget Williams’ impact on the British Touring Car Championship in the 1990s – when it took over Renault’s team in 1995, it turned the already competitive Laguna into a championship winner, resulting in driver and manufacturer titles in 1997. The early ’90s also saw the launch of the Renault Clio Williams, though this one wasn’t actually a Williams product, instead being the work of Renault Sport. More recently, the firm’s expertise has seen it develop flywheel hybrid systems, as used in the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, and work with Jaguar in Formula E and Nismo on the GT-R. ⌧

Left and above: Hill and Villeneuve dominated in the FW18 in ’96. Below: Williams flywheel from the hybrid 911 GT3 R race car