Williams FW24

Williams FW24

The FW24 of Ralf Schumacher
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Williams
Designer(s)	Patrick Head (Technical Director) Gavin Fisher (Chief Designer) Brian O'Roake (Chief Composites Engineer) Mark Tatham (Chief Mechanical Engineer) Geoff Willis (Head of Aerodynamics) Jason Somerville (Principal Aerodynamicist) Nick Alcock (Principal Aerodynamicist)
Predecessor	Williams FW23
Successor	Williams FW25
Technical specifications
Chassis	Carbon-fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)	Williams double wishbone, torsion bar, pushrod
Suspension (rear)	Williams double wishbone, coil spring, pushrod
Length	4540 mm
Engine	BMW P82 2998 cc V10 (90°) naturally aspirated
Transmission	Williams 7-speed longitudinal semi-automatic sequential
Power	880-900 hp @ 19,050 rpm
Weight	600 kg
Fuel	Petrobras
Lubricants	Castrol
Tyres	Michelin
Competition history
Notable entrants	BMW Williams F1 Team
Notable drivers	5. Ralf Schumacher 6. Juan Pablo Montoya
Debut	2002 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2002 Malaysian Grand Prix
Last win	2002 Malaysian Grand Prix
Last event	2002 Japanese Grand Prix
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 17 1 13 7 3
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The Williams FW24 was the Formula One car with which the Williams team competed in the 2002 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by German Ralf Schumacher and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya. Test drivers were Marc Gené, Giorgio Pantano and Antônio Pizzonia.

Design and development

The car was closely based on the previous year's FW23, and powered by a development of the ultra-powerful BMW engine from 2001, but the FW24 was aerodynamically inferior to the Ferrari F2002 and the McLaren MP4-17, while the BMW engine turned out to be unreliable despite its outright power.

Season summary

The car proved competitive; however, the Ferrari F2002 proved to be more powerful. Ralf Schumacher scored the team's only win of the season in Malaysia, and Juan Pablo Montoya finishing second saw the team register their first 1-2 finish since the 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix.

Juan Pablo Montoya exiting his FW24 after securing pole position for the 2002 Canadian Grand Prix

Montoya set a run of five consecutive pole positions with the car in midseason (eventually getting seven during the season), and completed the then fastest lap of any circuit in Formula 1 history during qualifying, setting pole position at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix (on a track that favours engine power) with a lap average of 161.449 mph (259.827 km/h), completing the lap in 1:20.264, breaking the record previously set by former Williams driver Keke Rosberg at the 1985 British Grand Prix at Silverstone who lapped at an average of 160.9 mph (258.9 km/h) in his Honda turbo-powered Williams FW10.

Williams finished second in the Constructors' Championship but over 100 points behind Ferrari, with Montoya and Schumacher third and fourth respectively in the Drivers' Championship.

Sponsorship and livery

The primary colours of the FW24 were white and blue. Williams began the season with Compaq sponsorship. However, from the British Grand Prix onwards, the team had title sponsorship from Hewlett-Packard, following the merger between the two companies.

Other use

On 3 December 2002, Nico Rosberg conducted his first ever test in a Formula One car in a Williams FW24 Circuit de Catalunya. At the time, he became the youngest person ever to drive a Formula One car.

In 2003, 4-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon drove the FW24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
2002	Williams	BMW P82 V10	M		AUS	MAL	BRA	SMR	ESP	AUT	MON	CAN	EUR	GBR	FRA	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	USA	JPN	92	2nd
				Ralf Schumacher	Ret	1	2	3	11†	4	3	7	4	8	5	3	3	5	Ret	16	11†
				Juan Pablo Montoya	2	2	5	4	2	3	Ret	Ret	Ret	3	4	2	11	3	Ret	4	4

^† Driver did not finish the Grand Prix but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.