The Williams FW07 was a ground effect Formula One racing car designed by Patrick Head , Frank Dernie , and Neil Oatley for the 1979 F1 season.
86-501: It was closely based on the Lotus 79 , even being developed in the same wind tunnel at Imperial College London . Some observers, among them Lotus aerodynamicist Peter Wright felt the FW07 was little more than a re-engineered Lotus 79, just having a stiffer chassis. The car was small and simple and extremely light, powered by the ubiquitous Ford Cosworth DFV . It had very clean lines and seemed to be
172-580: A motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Derbyshire , England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer 's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned by the Wheatcroft family, is currently under lease by MotorSport Vision until 2038. It has a capacity of 120,000, and is also the venue of the Download Festival . Originally part of
258-537: A 2011 Grand Prix could take place at the site." On 7 December 2009, Formula One Management announced that Silverstone had been awarded a 17-year contract to hold the British Grand Prix from 2010 until 2026. On 11 December 2009, it was announced that DVLL had lost the rights to hold the British Superbike Championship race due to be held on 10–12 September 2010. These dates will now be used for
344-526: A few days after, that Donington would not be hosting the British Grand Prix. On 18 November 2009, less than one month after it was confirmed that the Donington had lost the right to host the British Grand Prix, circuit owner Donington Ventures Leisure Limited was placed into administration . Ecclestone initially had promised potential new owners the option of reviving the deal, but in December 2009 Silverstone won
430-547: A five-year deal with Silverstone from 2010. Following the failed 2010 Formula 1 bid, in less than a year Donington had lost both competitions for the foreseeable future. Donington Park was proposed to host the British Grand Prix as an alternative venue chosen for 2015, since the Circuit of Wales , having won the Dorna contract from 2015, was a failed proposal. However, in February 2015, it
516-473: A fuel leak, Andretti led until lap twenty four when he pitted with a left rear puncture and whilst chasing the leading pack he blew his engine up. In Germany Andretti won but Peterson retired when his gearbox failed, the Austrian Grand Prix saw Peterson win but Andretti retired after he tried to pass Carlos Reutemann 's Ferrari and the two touched with Andretti car spinning into the barriers. Holland
602-543: A poor start plus bunching around him caused a collision between him, Patrese's Arrows and James Hunt 's McLaren . Peterson's car caught fire and Hunt dragged the Swede free and laid in the middle of the track fully conscious, but with severe leg injuries. Peterson had an operation and would die on the Monday after the race. Andretti would take the restart and would be first on the road but finished sixth after he and Villeneuve both jumped
688-476: A race at Croft . On 24 December 2009 it was announced that a buyer for Donington Ventures Leisure had not been found, which thus meant that the 150-year lease given by Wheatcroft & Son Ltd to Donington Ventures Leisure was terminated. The ownership immediately reverted to Wheatcroft & Son Ltd, now led by Kevin Wheatcroft in light of the death of his father in 2009. Wheatcroft vowed to re-open Donington Park as soon as possible. There were hopes to re-open
774-558: A return to racing, but Wheatcroft successfully appealed and had laid out the track by early 1976. The first postwar race meeting was for motorcycles held on Sunday, 15 May 1977, organised by The Pathfinders and Derby Motor Club. The motor racing circuit re-opened for cars on Saturday 28 May 1977. The first postwar car race meeting was organised by the Nottingham Sports Car Club, sponsored by local Lotus dealers, J A Else of Codnor. That first car meeting nearly did not happen, as
860-454: A sensation by winning a race in his Nissan Primera, the first 'Independent' to do so in the modern era. This won him a £250,000 prize from BTCC series promoter Alan Gow. After five years at Brands Hatch , the WTCC moved to Donington Park in 2011. The event attracted thousands of people on race day, where the two races were both won by Yvan Muller for Chevrolet . The weekend also had two races for
946-503: A single Formula One race in 1993, but became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcycling championship. Leased by Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd in 2007 the hope that Formula One racing could return to the track, the incomplete venture failed to raise sufficient financial backing during the aftermath of the 2007–2008 financial crisis . DVLL consequently lost the rights to
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#17328561873611032-554: A strong challenger for the new season, but early reliability problems halted any serious threat for the title. While not the first to use ground effects in Formula One, an honour belonging to Colin Chapman and the Lotus 78 (the Lotus 79's predecessor), Dernie may have had a better grasp of the principles than even Chapman. While Head had been developing the Lotus 78's/79's basic principles in
1118-445: Is now also recreated in the PC based racing simulation 'Automobilista 2' by Reiza Studios ( key ) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) ^1 This total includes points scored by the Lotus 78 . ^2 This total includes points scored by the Lotus 80 used by Andretti in three races. Donington Park Donington Park is
1204-409: The 1978 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder . It took the pole position at the hands of Mario Andretti by more than a second, and went on to win the race comfortably. Andretti said after driving the 79 for the first time that, in comparison, the Lotus 78 was "like driving a London bus". Peterson once quipped, after scoring an impressive pole position, that the car was so brilliantly set up, all he had to do
1290-528: The 1981 Indianapolis 500 on the third row in 9th, but finished only 17th. The car was later sold and turned into a Can-Am car in 1985, with the addition of a 5.0L Chevrolet engine and extensive bodywork, then sold again and raced in SCCA . ( key ) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap) * 4 points in 1979 scored using the FW06 * 44 points in 1982 scored using
1376-641: The 1993 European Grand Prix . Other events taking place at the track include a 1000 km endurance race for the Le Mans Series in 2006, the World Series by Renault and the Great and British Motorsport Festival . On 26 August 2007, the circuit hosted the British Motocross Grand Prix, with a purpose-built motocross circuit constructed on the infield of the road circuit. In 2007, Wheatcroft via
1462-522: The 2017–18 season , the series switched their pre-season test venue to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia , Spain. Wheatcroft has also invested heavily to restore the circuit infrastructure to its former glories. The infield which was excavated during the late 2000s has been completely restored and raised even higher in some areas, while pit and paddock facilities have also been improved. Outside
1548-571: The BBC about the Formula One Teams Association threatening to break away and form their own series, FIA president Max Mosley said it was "highly likely" the 2010 British Grand Prix would return to Silverstone. Donington was given an extended two-week deadline to prove their financing to host the 2010 British Grand Prix. This did not work out, as fundraising attempts fell through on 22 October 2009. Consequently Bernie Ecclestone confirmed
1634-700: The Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the period between the First and Second World Wars when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship. Used as a military vehicle storage depot during the Second World War , it fell into disrepair until bought by local construction entrepreneur Tom Wheatcroft . Revived under his ownership in the 1970s, it hosted
1720-501: The FW08 Lotus 79 The Lotus 79 is a Formula One car designed in late 1977 by Colin Chapman , Geoff Aldridge , Martin Ogilvie , Tony Rudd , Tony Southgate and Peter Wright of Lotus . The Lotus 79 was the first F1 car to take full advantage of ground effect aerodynamics. Over the span of its lifetime, the Lotus 79 took 7 wins, 10 pole positions, 121 points and won
1806-425: The Lotus 78 . The undercar pressure problems in the 78 were resolved with the 79, with further design work on the venturi tunnels under the car, which allowed the low pressure area to be evenly spaced along the whole of the underside. This was achieved by extending the rear bodywork to a point inside the rear wheel suspension system, allowing the underside to extend further back, instead of ending abruptly in front of
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#17328561873611892-796: The Motocross des Nations , the biggest and longest running event in World Championship Motocross, was at Donington Park. It soon became clear that DVLL, led by Simon Gillett, was in serious financial difficulty. Chris Sylt, a respected journalist specialising in the financial side of Formula One, questioned Simon Gillett's track record, citing an earlier failure of his company Innovation Motorsport, owing £200,000, and his apparent lack of experience. In April 2009, Wheatcroft & Son Ltd took legal action against DVLL in Derby County Court, seeking £2.47m in rent arrears, as well as forfeiture of
1978-494: The Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France , he suggested to Frank Williams that to compensate for the harsh ride and the pounding the driver gets while driving the car that he "put suspension on the seat", which Frank thought was a good idea. However, he then replied that Jones should sit on his wallet. 'Yeah,' drawled the tough Aussie , 'then give me something to put in it!' Jones temporarily left Formula One because of
2064-563: The 80 proved to be a total failure and Lotus was forced to go back to the 79, driven by Andretti and Carlos Reutemann . Several podium places were scored and the 79 was in contention for victory in the early stage of the season, but the next generation of ground effects cars led first by the Ligier JS11 , then the Ferrari 312T4 and then the Williams FW07 — a car heavily based on the 79 outclassed
2150-549: The Alfa around 205 litres, effectively giving the 1980 Williams FW07 a superior power to weight ratio. The FW07B evolved into the FW07C for 1981, and further work was done to the suspension, especially after the FIA banned the moveable skirts needed for effective ground effect. The hydraulic suspension systems were developed by Jones, who hated the rock hard suspension. During a winter test session at
2236-627: The British Superbike Championship and British GT. Donington Park motor racing circuit was the first permanent park circuit in England, which also ended the race circuit monopoly that Brooklands had held since 1907. Fred Craner was a former motorcycle rider who had taken part in seven Isle of Man TT races, and was by 1931 a Derby garage owner and secretary of the Derby & District Motor Club. Craner approached John Gillies Shields,
2322-419: The British rounds of both Formula 1 and MotoGP series, and in its bankruptcy returned the track to the Wheatcroft family in December 2009. Under Wheatcroft's ownership, the venue underwent significant work, with the track restored to use in autumn 2010, before major upgrades in the following five years. At the end of 2010, it was announced that Donington would become home to an annual historic motorsport event,
2408-566: The Donington Historic Festival, with new events constantly being added. Since 2010, significant investment across the venue has seen major improvements made to its infrastructure, while the circuit has become a regular fixture for top class motorcycling in the form of the Superbike World Championship . In January 2017, the circuit business and a long-term lease on the estate was purchased by MotorSport Vision , with
2494-447: The FW07 further, working especially on setup and suspension strengthening. The car was now so efficient in creating downforce from its ground effect design that the front wings were unnecessary. At the 1980 French Grand Prix , Alan Jones used for the first time (in a race) a specially prepared John Judd developed Cosworth DFV. Previously Williams had used "development" DFVs allocated by Cosworth to constructors who were judged to provide
2580-405: The FW07, Chapman's design team was attempting to take the ground effect idea further ahead of rivals on the Lotus 80 engaging the entire bottom of the chassis as an aerodynamic device for generating downforce without the necessity of external wings. Since the Lotus 80 solution had many drawbacks, Chapman devised the twin-chassis concept of Lotus 86 and 88 that should have solved the issues, but it
2666-547: The FW07, which although it was now three years old, was still competitive. After 15 wins, 300 points, one drivers' and two constructors' titles the FW07 was replaced by the similarly engineered FW08 from early 1982. The Williams FW07 and its variants have been regular fixtures in historic racing. The FW07C won the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship in 2016, 2018 and 2021, while the FW07B won
Williams FW07 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2752-580: The French GP onwards both Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann had a power deficit of just 10-15 BHP compared to the factory based Alfas and Renaults, which gave both Jones and Reutemann a fighting chance on power sensitive circuits such as Hockenheim, the Osterreichring, Zandvoort and Imola. The Williams had the advantage of only requiring a fuel tank size of 173 litres, where the Renault needed a 215 litre fuel tank and
2838-594: The Grade II* listed Hall into a 40-bedroom hotel, scheduled to open in 2023. Hastings House will become the Donington Hall Motorhouse, a stabling facility for supercars, classic road and racing cars and motorcycles, whilst the Lansdowne workshops, will be available to let for high-end motor engineering businesses which support the preparation and maintenance of vehicles kept at the Donington Hall Motorhouse and used on
2924-490: The Lotus 79 can be found on the Formula One 05 PlayStation 2 game. The Lotus 79 is also available for the iRacing.com online, subscription-based racing simulation service for Microsoft Windows , Mac and Linux . The car is also featured in the game F1 2018 by Codemasters , being one of the classic cars available to drive. The car is featured as a tribute in the final episode of Top Gear Series 27. This car
3010-413: The Lotus. Although the car was updated with revised bodywork and a new rear wing, Lotus slipped to fourth in the constructors' championship and the car was retired at the end of the 1979 season, without winning any further races, signalling the end of the team's glorious era. The 79 did however provide Nigel Mansell with his first Formula One test in December 1979 at Paul Ricard . A playable version of
3096-574: The USA to win his only world championship, while Reutemann won at a wet race in Monaco. Williams won also their first Constructors' Championship. The main challenge to the FW07 came from Nelson Piquet in Brabham 's neat BT49 . This time it was Reutemann who challenged Piquet for the championship, narrowly missing out in the final race, but Williams took home the constructors' championship after four more wins. The FW07C
3182-550: The World Superbikes, plus the inaugural Donington Historic Festival. 60 race days are held each year, including events from the British Touring Car Championship, British Superbikes, World Superbikes, British GT, rallying and historic festivals for both cars and motorcycles. Racing takes place on most weekends between March and October, with visits from most British racing clubs. Donington has also been host to
3268-489: The annual Season Launch for the BTCC since 2013, while the British Superbike Championship also holds major test days at the circuit. The FIA Formula E Championship and its teams also constructed its headquarters at the circuit in the early years of its competition. All teams in the electric series were based at the venue, and Donington hosted several pre-season test dates before each season, some of which were open to spectators. For
3354-571: The back of the field and finished tenth. Jarier took pole and led until an oil leak. The Lotus 79 was so dominant the only real threat was the Ferrari 312T3 , and the advantage its Michelin tyres gave in hot weather conditions. Its other threat was the Brabham BT46B "fan car" but Brabham withdrew it after its victory in Sweden. Meanwhile, the Ferraris only won when the Lotus failed to finish. So superior
3440-609: The best potential to win races against Renault and Ferrari. Modified in John Judd's workshops in Rugby, the Judd-DFV featured an advanced camshaft/cylinder head design which allowed for greater revs than even a development DFV, producing 500-510 BHP at 11,400 RPM compared to 10,800 RPM of a standard DFV. Since both the Renault turbo V6 produced 520 BHP and the Alfa V12 around 525 BHP, it meant that from
3526-438: The car by the ground effect. The fuel tank was one single cell behind the driver, as opposed to the separate fuel tanks on the previous Lotus 78. This had the advantage of increasing fire protection and returning the centre of gravity to the middle of the car, helping cornering and braking. The 79 was also the first F1 car to be designed using computer design aids. In fact, it was the first F1 car to use computers to analyse it in
Williams FW07 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3612-471: The car generated so much downforce anyway. These features were, however, later incorporated into the Lotus 80 . In all, five chassis were built during the design's lifetime, with the prototype 79/1 later sold to Héctor Rebaque to race as a privateer entrant. The car was powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV and constructed of sheet aluminium honeycomb , specially strengthened for the pressures exerted on
3698-595: The car's competitiveness came only at mid-season, Jones and Williams lost the driver's and constructor's championships to South African Jody Scheckter and Ferrari , respectively. But the FW07's competitiveness meant that Williams was a top contender for the 1980 season and beyond. Regazzoni was replaced by Carlos Reutemann . While the latter and Williams's other driver, Alan Jones, formed a successful partnership, they were not comfortable with each other. Jones won five races in Argentina, France, Britain, Canada and Watkins Glen in
3784-448: The championship in 2017. Rights to the FW07's design were acquired by Bobby Hillin, owner of the IndyCar team Longhorn Racing. Longhorn Racing built a Williams FW07 copy named Longhorn LR02 , with minor adjustments to comply with CART and Indianapolis 500 rules. The car ran in 1981 with Al Unser at the wheel. It achieved a best result of 2nd at the 1981 CART Mexico round. It started
3870-615: The circuit boundaries, an all terrain course has been constructed, as well as improvements to hospitality buildings and conferencing suites. In January 2017, the circuit business was taken over by MotorSport Vision , with the Donington Park Estate on a 21-year lease, until 2038. The purchase was cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority in August 2017, with work commencing almost immediately on venue improvements. Additions over
3956-481: The circuit in August 2010, and this was accomplished with the Donington Revival meeting. On 26 May 2010 Wheatcroft announced that the lease for Donington Park had been sold (Subject To Contract) to Worcestershire -based Adroit Group . Adroit proceeded to resurrect the circuit, not only rebuilding the removed track sections, but also renewing infrastructure. This included the re-alignment of Foggy's bend, but not
4042-486: The company went into administration with debts to contractors and suppliers approaching £4 million and a secured loan of £14 million with Anglo Irish Bank, according to the Administrator's report. . Acting chairman Mr Price said: "This need not be the end of Formula One racing at Donington. It still remains a fantastic location. It needs people of vision to get the dream to the starting grid. We are certainly hopeful that
4128-456: The constructors’ championship with 86 points. In 1979, Lotus kept Andretti but recruited Carlos Reutemann as their second driver, Martini Racing replaced JPS as sponsor in that year, so the car appeared in British racing green after twelve years. The 79 was to be replaced by the Lotus 80 , intended to be the next step in the evolution of ground effects. Unlike the two previous models, although,
4214-462: The contract for the next 17 years. Donington Park has also been the home of Grand Prix motorcycle racing . After the Isle of Man TT Races lost World Championship status, from the 1977 UK inaugural race, GP racing was held at Silverstone until 1986. For the next 23 years, Donington held the race up until 2009, but in light of the proposed Donington Formula 1 deal, Grand Prix organisers Dorna Sports agreed
4300-472: The extremely unpleasant ride the FW07C gave, he later described driving the car as "wrecking the internals". BBC 's Horizon series followed the team during winter testing, and later produced the film Gentlemen, Lift Your Skirts which was broadcast during 1981. The film featured extensive behind the scenes footage of the team at work and interviews with the drivers, Frank Williams and Patrick Head. The FW07D
4386-462: The facility. This was in part an answer to the lack of road access, which regularly resulted in long tailbacks, for example when 30,000 bikers exited major motorcycle events. A shuttle-bus service would run from the close by East Midlands Parkway station , on the Midland Main Line from London to Sheffield . Due to the 2007–2008 financial crisis and Donington's potential inability to raise
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#17328561873614472-513: The following round in Belgium with one car available for Andretti with Peterson using the older 78, the pair finished first with Andretti and second with Peterson. Same results in the same order at the Spanish Grand Prix as both drivers had exclusive use of the 79. The Swedish Grand Prix caused anger from several teams including Lotus because Brabham had redesigned their Brabham BT46B which
4558-542: The holding company Wheatcroft & Son Ltd, sold a 150-year lease on the land on which the track and museum are located to Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd (DVLL). In July 2008, it was announced that DVLL had won the rights to the British Grand Prix for 17 years from July 2010, with North West Leicestershire council approving plans for the required track and facility rebuilt design by Hermann Tilke to be constructed from January 2009. On 27 and 28 September 2008,
4644-484: The last drivers' and constructors' world championships for Lotus. The 79 is credited with pushing Formula One into the modern aerodynamics era. After Rubens Barrichello drove the 79 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2000, he spoke of its "phenomenal grip and traction", and stated that "it felt like a modern Grand Prix car". The Lotus 79's ground effect aerodynamics were pioneered in its immediate predecessor,
4730-438: The lease. The legal action put the future of the British Grand Prix in doubt, with Bernie Ecclestone restating that if Donington did not meet required standards to host the event, there will be no British Grand Prix from 2010. On 5 June 2009, it was announced that an out of court settlement had been reached between Wheatcroft & Son Ltd and DVLL. On 24 October 2009, media sources reported that Donington had failed to raise
4816-465: The local ramblers tried to assert their rights to retain access to footpaths at the eleventh hour. The meeting went ahead as a "Motor Trial", a legal loophole that curtailed the use of single seater racing cars for that opening meeting. The NSCC continued to run race meetings at Donington until the Donington Racing Club was formed and a licence to run race meetings obtained. The Melbourne Loop
4902-420: The monocoque and load bearing points on the chassis tub, and the car was found to be even faster than before. The need for smooth airflow dictated the car must have clean lines. Nicknamed "Black Beauty" by the press and F1 fans alike, for its graceful design and sleek profile and its black and gold livery through sponsorship by John Player Special cigarettes, the Lotus 79 was instantly competitive on its debut,
4988-456: The necessary funds, Bernie Ecclestone stated on 20 June 2009 that the 2010 British Grand Prix would be held at Silverstone if Donington was not ready to host it. This was a change from his previous "Donington or nothing" standpoint and he cited changes in the structure of the BRDC , meaning there was a better way of negotiating with them over future commercial rights. Furthermore, during an interview with
5074-457: The next fastest car. The car served to make Team Williams a contender for the first time; Jones retired with fuel pump failure and his Swiss teammate Clay Regazzoni won his last Grand Prix and first since 1976. Jones then won 4 of the next 5 Grand Prix in Germany, Austria, Holland and Canada in a car that was so much quicker than any of the others, particularly around high-speed circuits. But because
5160-521: The non-ground effect FW06 was used for the first four rounds in the Americas and South Africa. The car proved to be reasonably competitive; Australian Alan Jones put the car 13th at Jarama and then 4th for the next round in Belgium; he even led 16 laps of the race before retiring with electrical failure. At the British Grand Prix , Jones stuck the revised Williams on pole and was immediately 2 seconds faster than
5246-444: The old Dunlop Bridge due to new built MSA/FIA regulations. As a result of a series of inspections, the circuit successfully regained its ACU, MSA and FIA Grade 2 licences. However, Wheatcrofts and Adroit failed to agree terms of a final lease contract, and hence terminated their outline agreement. The Wheatcroft-owned company Donington Park Racing took control of the circuit in late 2010, gaining events from both World Touring Cars and
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#17328561873615332-516: The opening lap. This race was described by AtlasF1 as the 'Drive of the Decade'. There is a memorial to Senna in the grounds of the racetrack, outside the Donington Collections. On 4 July 2008 Bernie Ecclestone announced that Donington Park would hold the British Grand Prix from 2010 onwards in a 17-year deal, having been hosted exclusively by Silverstone since 1987. On 10 July 2008,
5418-430: The owner of the Donington Hall estate , to use the extensive roads on his land for racing. The original track was 2.186 mi (3.518 km) in length, and based on normal width unsealed estate roads. The first motor cycle race took place on Whit Monday (25 May) 1931. For 1933 Craner obtained permission to build a permanent track, with the original layout widened and sealed at a cost of £12,000. The first car race
5504-430: The park was bought by business man and car collector Tom Wheatcroft , who funded the rebuilding of the track. Wheatcroft moved his collection to a museum known as the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition which opened in 1973, and had the largest collection of Grand Prix cars in the world until its closure in 2018. Wheatcroft had to battle against Leicestershire County Council , which had refused to allow planning consent for
5590-428: The pits on race weekends. The car was secretly tested in late 1977 by Ronnie Peterson and proved extremely fast, but the chassis suffered early fatigue due to the severe suction and g -forces generated by the ground effect. The 79 produced about 30% more downforce than the 78, something not foreseen by Ogilvie and Rudd, who went back to the drawing board. The chassis was strengthened in specific points, mostly around
5676-488: The proposal was that the track would have a major upgrade designed by Hermann Tilke , to include an entirely new pit complex along Starkey's Straight and increasing the circuit length to 2.944 mi (4.738 km), by the addition of a new infield loop, to get it up to the standards required for modern day Formula One racing. The proposal included that the racetrack would be the first to be accessed only by public transportation, with viewers' cars not being allowed to enter
5762-429: The purchase cleared by authorities in August of the same year. Significant investment has seen facilities at the venue brought up to modern standards, with a new restaurant, toilet blocks, large new grandstand and new circuit offices, as well as other detail changes. As well as improving the infrastructure, MSV made additions to the race calendar, with additional major events planned for 2019 which included extra rounds of
5848-475: The race circuit. Donington Park has long been home to many prestigious motorsport events including BTCC , British F3 , British Superbike Championship , WorldSBK , Superleague Formula , Truck Racing . Donington Park was the host of the 1993 European Grand Prix on 11 April 1993. The race, which was affected by rain, was notable for the dominance of Ayrton Senna where he won the race by over 1 minute from Damon Hill , having advanced from fifth to first in
5934-400: The race winners were respectively Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari , both in Auto Union ' Silver Arrows .' The circuit at Donington Park was closed in 1940 due to World War II , when it was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence and was converted into a military vehicle depot. It was "derequisitioned" in 1956 and approved for racing by local planning authorities in 1957. In 1971
6020-400: The rear wheels as on the 78. As a result, the rear suspension was also redesigned to allow the air to exit the rear more cleanly than on its predecessor. This allowed a smaller rear wing to be used, lowering drag. When the car first appeared, the upper bodywork was steeply raked and featured " Coke bottle " sidepods. After work in the wind tunnel , these features were found to be unnecessary, as
6106-404: The restarted race. Jean-Pierre Jarier took over the second Lotus in the United States and was running third till he ran out of fuel with four laps to go, Andretti led for the opening laps but he had a brake issue and later on his engine blew. The Canadian Grand Prix had problems for Andretti as he attempted to pass John Watson 's Brabham and the two made contact dropping the American almost to
6192-509: The two seasons the car was used. The 79 proved to be almost unbeatable during the 1978 Formula One season and provided an unprecedented level of domination; the team had already won in Argentina with Andretti and South Africa with Peterson. The 79 was first used during practice for the Monaco Grand Prix with Mario Andretti driving but he used the 78 in the race. The 79 was ready for
6278-557: The venturi derived ground effects which caused the fuel in the tank to slosh about so violently that the fuel pump was unable to provide the fuel lines with adequate supply. Carlos Reuetemann also had a similar problem in the French Grand Prix in 1981 when he was in a strong position to finish in the points, and this misfire might also have cost Williams the 1981 Drivers Championship as well. After Jones retired, Williams took on Keke Rosberg in 1982. His mercurial driving seemed to suit
6364-476: The winter period of 2017-18 included a full resurface of paddock areas and access roads, the addition of the Garage 39 Restaurant, cafe and bar, and a large new grandstand at Hollywood corner. Several old toilet blocks were also demolished to make way for more modern units. while detail changes were carried out around the venue. The circuit office was also relocated to a newer building within the paddock. For 2019, work
6450-499: The £135 million needed to stage a British Grand Prix. The BBC commented in its coverage that: "Donington's bid looks over, and that Ecclestone has offered the race to Silverstone ." Although DVLL gave further public relations assurance that it would be able to raise the required finance and host the Grand Prix, on 29 October 2009, Ecclestone confirmed that the British Grand Prix would not be held at Donington. On 18 November 2009,
6536-574: Was an experimental six-wheeled test car (four driven rear wheels, and two undriven front wheels) tested by Alan Jones on a single occasion at the Donington Park circuit. With the FW07D proving the concept, its unique design was incorporated into the six-wheeled FW08B . The car made its debut at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama in 1979, the fifth round of the season and the first European round after
6622-449: Was announced that Donington had called off the deal, and that 2015 Grands Prix would likely remain at Silverstone. Donington Park has been a mainstay of the BTCC calendar, since the series was created in 1987 (as a development from the previous British Saloon Car Championship). In 1999 Donington was the location of one of the standout events from the BTCC's Super Touring era. Matt Neal caused
6708-556: Was built in 1985 to increase the lap distance to 2.498 mi (4.020 km) and allow the track to host Grand Prix motorcycle races. At the previously 1.957 mi (3.149 km) the circuit was deemed too short. The shorter layout remains as the "National" circuit, which is used for most non-Grand Prix events. Near the end of the 20th century Donington has held meetings of MotoGP , the British Touring Car Championship and British Superbike Championship , as well as
6794-557: Was completed on a new main entrance area near the existing paddock entrance, that better separates pedestrians from vehicle traffic. In April 2021 MSV announced it had purchased the freehold of the Donington Hall Estate comprising Donington Hall itself, former office building Hastings House and the Lansdowne workshops building. The estate is set in 28 acres of grounds next to the Donington Park race circuit. MSV plans to develop
6880-474: Was held on 25 March, followed by three car meetings further that year. The first Donington Park Trophy race was held on 7 October 1933, and the 20-lap invitation event was won by the Earl Howe in a Bugatti Type 51 . In 1935 the first 300-mile (480 km) Donington Grand Prix was won by Richard "Mad Jack" Shuttleworth in an Alfa Romeo P3 . In the 1937 Donington Grand Prix and 1938 Donington Grand Prix ,
6966-514: Was known as the "fan car". Andretti took pole and led till Niki Lauda 's fan car passed him, Andretti would have his engine blow up and Peterson finish third behind Lauda and Riccardo Patrese 's Arrows . After the race, Brabham voluntarily withdrew the BT46B. The 79 was first and second at France with Andretti first and Peterson second. The 79 had a double retirement at the British Grand Prix with Peterson retired from second place after seven laps with
7052-547: Was never allowed to race due to failure to comply with existing technical rules. When the British Grand Prix at Silverstone came around, chief designer Frank Dernie had designed and implemented a system that ensured that the car's all-important skirts touched the ground at all times and had also corrected some aerodynamic leakage at the back of the chassis between the French and British Grand Prix. The FW07 became FW07B in 1980, and Alan Jones , now with Carlos Reutemann , developed
7138-447: Was steer. The 79 was not without its problems, however. Wright and Ogilvie noted that the car was very marginal in some aspects of its design. Andretti had reservations over the car's brakes, which faded noticeably over a race distance, especially in hot conditions; the exhaust had a tendency to overheat, and the monocoque tub was not as stiff as the team would have liked, which meant a new casting had to be fabricated several times during
7224-404: Was the Lotus, that most races became a scrap for minor placings, as Andretti and Peterson regularly finished first and second, more often than not by a considerable margin ahead of the rest of the field. On the rare occasion the 79 did not win or fail, one or other driver was usually on the podium. Andretti was comfortably world champion in 1978 and Peterson finished runner-up posthumously; Lotus won
7310-498: Was the last first and second for Lotus in its career with Andretti first and Peterson second. The Italian Grand Prix was a weekend to remember for all the right and wrong reasons for Lotus, Andretti qualified on pole but Peterson qualified sixth and had to use the older 78 after the 79 had sudden brake failure in the warm-up plus he was unable to fit into Andretti's spare car. The start was chaotic with Andretti being passed by Gilles Villeneuve 's Ferrari and Lauda's Brabham. Peterson had
7396-639: Was the second fastest car of 1981, behind the Renault RE30 , but the Williams was more reliable. Alan Jones lost two potential victories at Monaco and Hockenheim when fuel pressure "hunting" caused the Cosworth DFV to misfire badly, costing the Australian not just wins but also possibly the 1981 World Drivers Championship. The misfiring which afflicted Jones was caused by the high G forces and acceleration generated by
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