1993 Williams-Renault FW15C

Pictured is a 1993 Williams-Renault FW15C Grand Prix Car. The car is painted in 1994 Williams livery which featured on the FW16 and FW16B.

 

It was driven in 1993 by four-times Formula 1 World Champion Alain Prost and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill.

 

After dominating the 1992 season Williams went into 1993 with an all-new driver line-up. Alain Prost returned to Formula 1 after a year on the sidelines and was partnered by Damon Hill, promoted to the race team after two years as the team's test driver.

 

The season got off to the perfect start for Prost with the Frenchman taking Pole Position for the opening race in South Africa. Despite a poor start that dropped him to to third he worked his way through to the front of the field to take a dominant win with fastest lap, ending the race over a minute ahead of arch-rival Ayrton Senna.

 

Hill's first race for Williams didn't go so well. He spun the car at the second corner and dropped to the back of the field. He made progress through the pack but was involved in a collision with Alex Zanardi's Lotus a few laps later and ended his race in the gravel trap.

 

The next race in Brazil saw Prost and Hill lock out the front row of the grid. Prost charged into the lead whilst Hill had to get back in front of a fast-starting Senna. Eventually the Williams cars were running 1-2.

 

A heavy rain shower hit the Interlagos circuit at just over one third distance and Prost, still on slick tyres, lost control of the car and collided with Christian Fittipaldi, taking both cars out of the race.

 

Once the rain stopped the field pitted for dry tyres and Senna, with a typical wet weather masterclass, overhauled Hill to take his first win of the season. Hill did finish second to claim his maiden Formula 1 podium finish.

 

Prost and Hill shared the front row for the European Grand Prix at Donington Park. Once again the race was held in damp conditions and Senna passed five cars to take the lead before the end of the first lap.

 

Prost's race began to unfold from that point onwards. With the weather alternating from wet to dry and then back again the Frenchan made a total of seven pit stops during the race, stalling during one of them. He would go on to finish a lapped third behind team-mate Hill who finished runner-up to Senna.

 

The San Marino Grand saw Prost make a poor start from Pole Position and Hill led away from Senna and Prost. Prost passed the Brazilian but Senna retook the position during the first round of pit stops. Eventually, Prost passed both Hill and Senna whilst lapping slower cars and went on to claim the victory with fastest lap. Hill retired early on with brake failure.

 

Prost would go on to win the following race in Spain after being overtaken at the start by Hill who retired mid-race with engine failure.

 

The Monaco Grand Prix was another messy affair for Prost. He made a jump-start from Pole Position and was given a stop-go penalty. To add insult to injury he stalled when trying to rejoin the race and lost a lap in the process. He would eventually finish in fourth position, one lap down on race winner Senna. Hill did salvage second position despite a late coming together with Gerhard Berger.

 

Another poor start saw Prost passed at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix by Hill although he soon retook the position and romped away to victory from Michael Schumacher who had overtaken Hill when the Englishman's car was experiencing problems. Hill did hang on to finish third.

 

The French Grand Prix was an all-Williams affair with the team unchallenged during the whole weekend. Hill took his first career Pole Position at Magny-Cours and led Prost until the first round of pit stops. However, the Frenchman emerged ahead and went on to claim his sixth win on home soil with Hill following him home.

 

Next time out at Silverstone Hill passed Prost off the line to build up a commanding lead in the British Grand Prix with Prost running second. A safety car at two thirds distance reduced the gap to nothing but two laps later Hill suffered an engine failure and retired from his home event. Prost went on to claim his sixth win of the season.

 

Lightning would strike twice for Hill in the following race in Germany. Again he led away at the start, built up a comfortable lead and was heading for his first win when he suffered a puncture on the penultimate lap and retired the car, being classified a lapped fifteenth.

 

Prost had lost three places at the start in Germany and then was penalised for cutting a chicane during the race. Despite all of this he made his way throught the field and was there to take advantage when Hill retired to clinch another victory. It would prove to be his 51st and final Grand Prix victory.

 

Hill's luck finally changed in Hungary. Pole Position man Prost stalled on the parade lap and was forced to start at the back of the grid. That left Hill free to dominate the race and he duly went on to score his maiden Forrmula 1 victory, over a minute clear of runner-up Riccardo Patrese's Benetton.

 

Prost's nightmare continued as he suffered rear wing issues and had to make a lengthy pit stop. He eventually rejoined the race but ended a lowly twelfth, seven laps down, and out of the points.

 

Prost led from Pole Position in Belgium but suffered a slow pit stop that allowed Hill to take the lead. He duly went on to win his second race in succession whilst Prost finished a distant third.

 

Prost looked set to wrap up the championship in Italy two weeks later but suffered his own misfortune during the race. He led away from Pole Position and was cruising to victory when he suffered an engine failure that put him out of the race. That let Hill into the lead and he went on to take a hat-trick of victories. Fastest lap was the icing on the cake.

 

In Portugal Hill took Pole Position but the car wouldn't fire up for the parade lap and the Englishman had to start from the back of the grid. Prost lost three position at the start but would find himself in the lead after the first round of pit stops.

 

However, the tables were turned at the second round of stops with Michael Schumacher emerging ahead of Prost. Prost tried everything in the book to overtake the Benetton but Schumacher had him covered at every turn and went on to take the victory. Second position for Prost was enough to give the Frenchman his fourth world title.

 

The Japanese Grand Prix saw Prost outwitted on a damp circuit by Senna. Despite leading early on Senna's mastery in tricky condition was too much for Prost and he duly followed Senna home for another podium finish.

 

Hill had an off-weekend in Japan. He qualified only sixth and had a scrappy race in the pack. He did make his way up to fourth but was over a minute behind Senna at the end.

 

The final race of the season in Adelaide saw Senna dominate the race with the two Williams cars and Michael Schumacher following behind. Once the German retired with engine failure it was a private inter-team battle for second position between Prost and Hill.

 

At one stage it got a little too close as Hill spun to avoid hitting Prost when the Frenchman defended his position into a corner. Hill rejoined and went on to finish third with Prost ending his final race in Formula 1 as runner-up.

 

At the end of the season, the Williams drivers would finish first (Prost) and third (Hill) in the championship. With ten wins from sixteen races Williams comfortably took the Constructor's Championship.

 

The actual 1994 Williams car was driven by Hill, Ayrton Senna, David Coulthard and Nigel Mansell.

 

Pictured in October 1994 at the International Motor Show show at the NEC in Birmingham.

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