The Williams Racing FW07 / 04 which has been painstakingly restored for the Jeddah GP
- More than 1000 hours have been devoted to the restoration of this classic F1, world champion.
- The vehicle was restored in the UK and returned to Saudi Arabia for the inaugural race.
- The FIA ​​used it in a tribute tour to the late Sir Frank Williams, founder of Williams Racing.
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An extraordinary Formula 1 car appeared at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah earlier this month. Driven by living F1 legends David Coulthard, Emerson Fittipaldi and Damon Hill, this vehicle has been painstakingly restored by Fifteen Eleven Design (a UK based restoration company). Grand Prix.
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Fully restored 1980 Williams FW07 / 04
Fifteen Eleven made history this month as they were chosen to return to service a 1980 Williams FW07 / 04 Formula 1 car that Alan Jones used in his World Championship winning season. From its premises in Bakewell, UK, the company has extensively restored the iconic racing car with a complete rebuild after dismantling and shipping the machine from the home of its Saudi car collector. After a careful eight-week restoration, Fifteen Eleven returned the car to legendary Jeddah, where it was the first Formula 1 car to test the all-new racing circuit used as the penultimate round of the 2021 F1 World Championship.
LEARN MORE ABOUT F1 WILLIAMS RACES HERE.
1980 Williams FW07 / 04
One of the greatest F1 cars ever made
The husky Williams FW07 / 04 was first used by Australian F1 star Alan Jones in 1979 and is believed to be the car that propelled him to the Drivers ‘Title and Williams to the Manufacturers’ Title in 1980. Jones would drive “04 “in the Argentine Grand Prix in January 1980, taking pole position and subsequently winning the race, laying the groundwork for a stellar season in the World Championship. From its owner’s home in Saudi Arabia, the Fifteen Eleven team would visit the iconic machine to thoroughly inspect and understand the work involved. From there, they would dismantle the vehicle to its aluminum unibody chassis for transport to its premises in the UK.
1980 Williams FW07 / 04
Modern techniques used to restore a classic car
The painstaking process would then begin to restore the Williams to its original glory, which included 3D scans and modeling to ensure a faithful recreation of the unavailable parts. The dismantling and total rebuilding of all components began, from the loom to the iconic green leather steering wheel often associated with the FW07 / 04. Geoff Richardson Racing Engines has ordered an all-new 3-liter Cosworth DFV V8 engine, coupled with a complete drivetrain overhaul by specialist Mark Bailey Racing. The engineers at Fifteen Eleven spent over a thousand hours bringing this legendary Formula 1 car back to life before returning to the Middle East ahead of the much-publicized Saudi Grand Prix. There he would showcase the all-new circuit, with a host of leading motorsport legends taking to the track in the Williams.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SIR FRANK WILLIAMS HERE.
1980 Williams FW07 / 04
A beautiful tribute to Sir Frank Williams
Due to the death of Sir Frank Williams, founder of Williams Racing, at the end of November, Formula 1 would also call on the FW07 / 04 to complete a lap of the circuit ahead of the Saudi race with Hill at the wheel as a mark of inspirational brain remembrance. and car manufacturer.
Fifteen Eleven Design CEO Chris Mellors was honored to work on such a prestigious and far-reaching project.
“The Williams FW07 / 04 project has undoubtedly been one of the most important tasks Fifteen Eleven Design has undertaken, and we certainly faced a lot of challenges along the way, but it was just magical to be able to restore this iconic machine to its former glory. ” he says.
Fifteen Eleven Design, the classic branch of the Mellors Elliot Motorsport World Rally Championship team, has over 40 years of experience in engineering and building custom cars for competition and the road.
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