1985 represented Williams' second full season utilizing Honda turbo engines. The previous year, 1984, proved challenging as the FW09 struggled with the immense power and difficult torque curve of the Honda engine, resulting in handling issues for drivers Keke Rosberg and Jacques Laffite. Technical director Patrick Head determined a completely new car was necessary. The FW10 featured a monocoque constructed almost entirely from carbon composite – a departure from the aluminium honeycomb construction used in prior Williams designs. This construction technique had been pioneered by McLaren with their MP4/1 in 1981 and was gaining traction across the field due to its exceptional stiffness and light weight. Nine FW10 tubs were constructed, including one for Honda test driver Satoru Nakajima and a prototype for evaluating the new construction process.
The FW10 was initially powered by Honda’s 1983 and 1984 V6 turbo engines, the RA163E, before the introduction of the 1985-specification RA165E engine at Detroit. These engines were capable of producing around 1000–1250 bhp in qualifying trim, and up to 900 bhp (670 kW) during races. The RA165-E engine featured smaller turbos, resulting in a slight power reduction that was offset by improvements in engine and turbo technology, creating a smoother, less “peaky” power delivery.
Nigel Mansell and 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg drove the FW10 during the 1985 season. The team experienced a significant improvement in performance compared to the previous two years. Mansell achieved his first Formula One victory at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, followed by a second win in South Africa. Rosberg secured his second win of the season, and his fifth and final overall, at the Australian Grand Prix.
During qualifying for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone), Rosberg set a lap time of 1:05.591 over the 4.719 km (2.932 mi) circuit, achieving an average speed of 160.9 mph (258.9 km/h). This marked the first time a Formula One car had exceeded the 160 mph barrier during a qualifying lap, a record that stood until 2002. This achievement was particularly notable as Rosberg completed the lap on slick qualifying tires despite damp track conditions and with a deflating tire for much of the lap.
Nigel Mansell unfortunately damaged two chassis during the season. The first incident occurred at Detroit, where he collided head-on with a barrier. The second was a heavy crash at Paul Ricard caused by a tyre blowout at over 200 mph (322 km/h), which set a record for the highest-speed crash in Formula One.
[unverified] The corpus does not contain information about any regulatory outcomes resulting from the Williams FW10.
Autocourse ranked the FW10 as the third-best car of 1985, behind the Lotus 97T and the McLaren MP4/2B. The chassis also received the "racing car of the year" award from Autosport magazine. More importantly, the FW10 served as a crucial stepping stone for the team, paving the way for the highly successful FW11, which dominated the 1986 and 1987 seasons. The FW10 was also the first Williams car to feature the distinctive yellow, blue, and white livery that the team would maintain until the end of the 1993 season.
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