Mansell was unstoppable in the Williams Renault of 1992 (©f1-photo.com)
It took Michael Schumacher until 2002 to beat the domination of Nigel Mansell a decade earlier. Driving a Williams-Renault in 1992, ‘Our Noige’ won 9 races, secured 14 pole positions, and wrapped up the World Championship early enough in the season to have seasoned commentators wringing their hands over the state of ‘the show’ (they haven’t really stopped since).
Pole position margins of superiority were in the region of entire seconds – and that was over his team-mate, Riccardo Patrese, who had a similar margin in hand over the rest of the field. Even Ayrton Senna and the might of a Honda V10 couldn’t catch the Williams-Renaults.
Yes, the Williams FW14B was fast: many reckon it, and the further-developed FW15 that succeeded it, to be among the most advanced that F1 has ever, and is ever likely to see. But other teams had incredibly advanced cars too, such as Benetton. The difference? The Renault engine.
Indeed, the moment Benetton swapped its Ford engines for Renaults, it started dominating too. That’s how good the Renault V10 engine was in the 1990s. Indeed, its might was part of the reason Senna himself went to Williams in 1994. What stories could have been written, but for fate. Now, 12 years after the last Williams-Renault hit the track, the two are in partnership again. From next year, Williams will be powered by the same Renault engine that took Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel to the World Championship last year, and to 6 out of the 9 races so far this year.
It at last brings frontrunning potential back to the Grove team. Williams is a brilliant, classic, astute and ‘human’ operation. It’s one of the purest racing teams out there and deserves far, far more success than it’s had in recent years, after being left in the lurch by BMW. Renault Sport F1 is the perfect match to it. Based in Viry-Chatillon, it is staffed by diehard racing engineers who are not short of brilliance themselves.
Adrian Newey apparently insisted on the Renault engine for Red Bull. Why? Its trick, ‘exceptionally good’ cooling characteristics, which make it compact and tight (and which means the rule change over off-throttle valve opening, introduced at the British Grand Prix, was so controversial: opening the valves to cool the engine was a key part of its design…).
Williams getting access to this mighty engine is thus a real coup. Ever mindful of history, and ever-aware that it doesn’t mean anything, Frank Williams celebrated the deal with excited caution. “Our previous relationship with Renault was one of the most successful in Williams’ history but we will not allow ourselves to dwell too much on the past. We must look to the future and continue to re-build our on-track reputation, which I am hopeful that today’s announcement will help us to do.”
Renault Sport F1 president, Bernard Rey, added: “There’s a great pride in reviving the Williams-Renault name. Together, we produced racing cars that are recognised for their technical innovation. It is still Renault’s most successful period in F1 to date. It’s a hugely exciting opportunity for both Renault and Williams.”
This is particularly true as it brings other business and marketing opportunities (don’t underestimate the power of reviving all those personal relationships). Who can forget the brilliant Renault Clio Williams road car? F1-passenger car collaborations have traditionally been dire: who doesn’t want to remember the dire Fiat Seicento Schumacher? Not this, though. The Clio Williams is an absolute classic today, which stands out as one of the best hot hatches, period. Yes, Williams in the 1990s was so good, it could even win on the road too.
The Williams deal for 2012 means Renault will be the engine of choice for four teams in 2012. There is no surer sign of how good the engine is. But the most evocative, for many, will be the Williams-Renault. No Lotus-style name-muddling nonsense here, just the return of the partnership that wrote the 1990s F1 history books, and will almost certainly lead to a scramble for a seat in a 2012 Williams. Webber back to Williams-Renault? I’ll put a tenner on it!
Classic partnerships are no surer way to make F1 fans misty-eyed. Jim Clark-Lotus. Senna-McLaren. Villeneuve-Ferrari. Vettel-Red Bull is being written. But the revival of Williams-Renault, and all the relationships that go with it, is a rare case of a classic return. Whether the success of the early 90s can be repeated is another thing. F1 comebacks have a history of not quite working as they did.
But maybe Williams-Renault could turn the tide here, too. In 1994, after the death of Senna, Mansell made a return for the final races of the season. He rounded out the season, and his time with Williams-Renault, with a victory in Australia, against the odds. Special moment? One of many. And now, as of 2012, there are hopefully plenty more in the offing.
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