This year marks Sir Frank Williams‘ 40th year in Formula One. In celebration of this remarkable achievement the AT&T Williams F1 team will be sending 13 cars to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.
Current drivers Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima will be on hand at the wheel of the FW29 from a couple of seasons ago. Also making an appearance will be past Williams F1 World Champion drivers Damon Hill (1996) and Alan Jones (1980), along with former racers David Coulthard and Jacques Laffite.
Jones’ 1980 title winning FW08 will also blow off the cobwebs on the famous Goodwood hill climb course.
The clip above features interviews with Sir Frank, Patrick Head, Rosberg, Nakajima and others. More after the break.
SIR FRANK WILLIAMS’ 40 YEAR INVOLVEMENT IN MOTOR SPORT TO BE CELEBRATED AT THE 2009 FESTIVAL OF SPEED
With the 2009 Festival of Speed now just days away (3-5 July), excitement is growing as Goodwood puts the finishing touches to what promises to be the largest motoring extravaganza in the world this year.
Part of Goodwood’s celebrations includes a tribute to one of the stalwarts of Formula One racing – Sir Frank Williams – who marks 40 years of involvement in Grand Prix racing this year.
Throughout the Festival weekend a number of significant Williams Grand Prix cars and ex-team drivers will be present, culminating on Sunday 5th with a gathering of all of the cars and drivers in the Goodwood F1 Paddock Assembly Area as tribute to Frank.
Formula One favourite Murray Walker will say a few words about Frank’s remarkable career in motor sport with the main man present. Also in attendance will be a number of former Williams team drivers, including Damon Hill, Alan Jones, David Coulthard and Jacques Laffite.
A gathering of 13 important Williams F1 cars will be at the Festival, ranging from the 1970 De Tomaso-Cosworth Tipo 505, right though the recent Williams-Toyota FW29. The 1980 F1 World Championship-winning Williams-Cosworth FW08 of Alan Jones and Damon Hill’s successful 1996 Williams-Renault FW18 will also be present and can be seen in action on the challenging 1.16-mile Goodwood hillclimb over the Festival weekend.
Commenting on his visit to Goodwood, Sir Frank Williams says “It will be great for me, and for all of the people that have been a part of Williams, or supported the team over the years, to be there to see a broad selection of our cars, past and present.â€
AT&T William race driver Nico Rosberg, who drove at the 2008 Festival for the team, adds, “The Festival of Speed is a very special event for us. It has a great atmosphere and I really encourage people to go along and witness one of the greatest motoring spectacles of the year!â€