View source for Williams FW06

{{Short description|Formula One motor racing car}}
{{Racing car
| Image = Williams FW06 front Donington Grand Prix Collection.jpg
| Category = [[Formula One]]
| Car_name = Williams FW06
| Constructor = [[Williams Grand Prix Engineering|Williams]]
| Team = [[Williams Racing|Williams Grand Prix Engineering]]<br>[[Saudia|Albilad-Saudia]] [[Williams Racing|Racing Team]] (1979)
| Designer = [[Patrick Head]]
| Predecessor = [[Williams FW04]]
| Successor = [[Williams FW07]]
| Drivers = 27. {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Alan Jones (Formula 1)|Alan Jones]]<br>28. {{flagicon|SWI}} [[Clay Regazzoni]]
| Chassis = [[Aluminium]] [[monocoque]]
| Front suspension = 
| Rear suspension = 
| Engine position = mid-mounted
| Engine name = [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]-[[Cosworth DFV]]
| Capacity = {{convert|2993|cc|cuin|abbr=on}}
| Turbo/NA = [[naturally aspirated]]
| Configuration = 90° [[V8 engine|V8]]
| Gearbox name = [[Hewland]] FGA 400
| Gears = 6-speed
| Type = [[Manual transmission|manual]]
| Differential = 
| Tyres = [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]]
| Fuel = 
| Debut = [[1978 Argentine Grand Prix]]
| Races = 20
| Cons_champ = 
| Drivers_champ = 
| Wins = 0
| Poles = 0
| Fastest_laps = 2
| Last_season = 
}}
The '''Williams FW06''' was the first car produced by the combination of [[Frank Williams (Formula One)|Frank Williams]] and [[Patrick Head]] for their [[Williams Grand Prix Engineering]] [[Formula One]] team. As was the standard arrangement for the many small British ''garagiste'' teams, the car was powered by the [[Cosworth DFV]] 3.0 litre V8 engine.

==Concept==
After a season running a customer [[March Engineering|March]] chassis in 1977 with limited results, just as in 1975 Frank Williams decided on a completely independent car for the new season. The FW06 was Patrick Head's first full F1 design. Inspired by the shortcomings of the March and his quick fix improvements done to the [[Williams FW04|FW04]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/april-2011/29/patrick-head|title=Patrick Head|date=7 July 2014|website=Motor Sport Magazine|access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref> he took no chances and penned a simple and light car that handled well. It had a conventional design but was as tightly packaged as possible. As was normal at the time, some parts for the car were not bespoke items, but bought off the shelf. For example the radiators were sourced from a [[Volkswagen Golf]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wi77iams.com/williams-fw06/|title=Williams FW06|date=14 June 2018|access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref> However reliability was an issue to begin with.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/1447/Williams-FW06-Cosworth.html|title=1978 Williams FW06 Cosworth - Images, Specifications and Information|website=Ultimatecarpage.com|access-date=30 November 2019}}</ref>

==Race history==
[[File:Alan Jones - Williams FW06 at Druids at the 1978 British Grand Prix (50049697273).jpg|thumb|left|[[Alan Jones (Formula 1)|Alan Jones]] driving the FW06 at the [[1978 British Grand Prix]]]]
With major sponsorship secured from [[Saudi Arabian Airlines]] and [[Techniques d'Avant Garde|TAG]], the FW06 first took to the racetrack in the [[1978 Argentine Grand Prix]] in the hands of [[Alan Jones (Formula 1)|Alan Jones]], and a single car competed in all 16 rounds of the World Championship that season, finishing in the points 3 times including a second place at [[1978 United States Grand Prix|Watkins Glen]], equalling Williams best result at the [[1975 German Grand Prix]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1975-german-grand-prix|title=1975 German Grand Prix|date=12 June 2017|website=Motor Sport Magazine|access-date=11 December 2019}}</ref> An excellent drive by Jones at [[Long Beach]] was unrewarded. While running second the car developed mechanical trouble and fell back.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.conceptcarz.com/z21503/williams-fw06.aspx|title=1978 Williams FW06|website=conceptcarz.com|access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref> Jones liked the car, stating that it was pleasant to drive and was very drivable compared to previous machinery he had been given, and felt it was one of the best non [[ground effect (cars)|ground effect]] cars that season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOWeGXQIBxY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/sOWeGXQIBxY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Alan Jones Interview &#124; Beyond The Grid &#124; Official F1 Podcast *STRONG LANGUAGE*|via=www.youtube.com|access-date=8 December 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The higher budget afforded by the sponsorship deal allowed Patrick Head to continually develop the FW06 throughout the year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/alan-jones|title=Alan Jones &#124; Motor Sport Magazine Database|date=12 June 2017|website=Motor Sport Magazine|access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref> Williams finished ninth in the constructors' championship in 1978, matching the best performance by the team in [[Frank Williams Racing Cars|its first incarnation]] achieved in 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-results/1975-f1-championship-standings/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=f3495e8cf8d9897839c0324a62c78191a2ddb419-1575649681-0-AR5-5miCoPRwLUF4VnCBUcqtxrOfG7jw4DRM2cnDoxbnsy1Gq-KzEP4GV0NGMOzPMnuby_GAJhhSgGqJMWeLHKbTdmtgitFG7tGoGmXNuqLfLmAlYdOuabSWbYdLRfoRFT9HvZSRHTGUPP9OjLvdra4ZKy9BqqiO-xbzCWYWEuWC3e7QEwm7zGb9M0QZ5WkwzDtHZDZVSn8Do_lwAxeSD6UcKGsjQ4m11DRZjkTSc1-jUOsEuEl5fK4_GJOR7CEkWV5YoWH5XaB23F_9_mXbYDuysYJ_6ZjyAyk-Iekyn5uammrwE6A7Lj7JjZA_B-CgCQ |title=1975 F1 Championship Standings |website=www.f1-fansite.com |date=16 January 1975 |access-date=7 December 2019}}</ref>

The FW06 also saw service in the first four races of the 1979 season, with [[Clay Regazzoni]] joining Jones in the team. Jones finished in third place at Long Beach, but by now the car was being left behind by the [[ground effect (cars)|ground effect]] cars of [[Team Lotus|Lotus]], [[Equipe Ligier|Ligier]], [[Tyrrell Racing|Tyrrell]] and others, and the car was replaced by the [[Williams FW07|FW07]].

Upon being retired, the FW06 chassis was bought by motorcycle ace [[Giacomo Agostini]], who had decided on a switch to car racing and drove the car with sponsorship from [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro]] in the [[British Formula One Championship]] in 1979 and 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://8w.forix.com/agostini.html|title=8W - Who? - Giacomo Agostini|website=8w.forix.com|access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
The car appeared in the video game ''[[Formula One Championship Edition]]'' in the classic cars alongside with other cars including the [[Lotus 49C]], [[Lotus 72D]], [[Cooper T51]], [[Alfa Romeo 158]] and [[Renault RS01]].
{{-}}

==Complete Formula One World Championship results==
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]]) (results in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Engine
! Tyres
! Drivers
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! [[List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems|Points]]
! WCC
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[1978 Formula One season|1978]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Williams Grand Prix Engineering]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[Cosworth DFV]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
| rowspan="2"| {{Goodyear}}
||
|| [[1978 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
|| [[1978 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
|| [[1978 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
|| [[1978 United States Grand Prix West|USW]]
|| [[1978 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
|| [[1978 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
|| [[1978 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
|| [[1978 Swedish Grand Prix|SWE]]
|| [[1978 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
|| [[1978 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
|| [[1978 German Grand Prix|GER]]
|| [[1978 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]
|| [[1978 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
|| [[1978 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
|| [[1978 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
|| [[1978 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
!rowspan="2"| 11
!rowspan="2"| 9th
|-
| [[Alan Jones (racing driver)|Alan Jones]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 14
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ''7''
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 10
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 8
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ''9''
|-
! rowspan="3"| [[1979 Formula One season|1979]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Saudi Arabian Airlines|Albilad-Saudia]] [[WilliamsF1|Racing Team]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[Cosworth DFV]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
| rowspan="3"| {{Goodyear}}
||
|| [[1979 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
|| [[1979 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
|| [[1979 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
|| [[1979 United States Grand Prix West|USW]]
|| [[1979 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
|| [[1979 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
|| [[1979 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
|| [[1979 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
|| [[1979 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
|| [[1979 German Grand Prix|GER]]
|| [[1979 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]
|| [[1979 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
|| [[1979 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
|| [[1979 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
|| [[1979 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
||
|rowspan="3" style="background:#DFDFDF;"|'''75'''{{ref|A|1}}
|rowspan="3" style="background:#DFDFDF;"|'''2nd'''
|-
| [[Alan Jones (racing driver)|Alan Jones]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 9
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| [[Clay Regazzoni]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 10
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 9
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
{{note|A|1|71 points in scored using the [[Williams FW07]].}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Williams}}
{{F1 cars 1978}}
{{F1 cars 1979}}

[[Category:Williams Formula One cars]]
[[Category:1978 Formula One season cars]]
[[Category:1979 Formula One season cars]]