Damien Smith

The biggest challenge of Sir Frank Williams’ life struck in early 1986 when he suffered terrible injuries in a car crash on his way to the airport following a test at Paul Ricard. But with the kind of steely determination that characterised his whole approach to F1, Williams never let the disabilities hold him back – and he certainly never let it impact his team. In a tribute to the late F1 team boss, we revisit Damien Smith’s piece on how Williams recovered from that difficult period.

Rob Huff scored his first World Touring Car Cup victory of the season and became the 12th winner in 16 races in a thrilling wet-weather finale at Sochi. 

Yann Ehrlacher secured his second consecutive World Touring Car Cup title with a safe sixth place finish in race one at a sodden Sochi, as Mikel Azcona came from eighth on the grid to score his first win of the season.

Jean-Karl Vernay reignited his World Touring Car Cup title hopes with a vital victory on home soil, beating fellow Frenchman Yvan Muller at Pau-Arnos.

Frederic Vervisch won the second World Touring Car Cup race from pole at Aragon, while Gabriele Tarquini scored his first win in two years in the opening contest.

Attila Tassi saved Honda’s blushes to score his first World Touring Car Cup victory after a loose bonnet cost Tiago Monteiro what had looked like a certain home win at Estoril.

Jean-Karl Vernay headed new teammate Luca Engstler to win on his debut for Hyundai at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, after Honda veteran Tiago Monteiro won the reversed-grid WTCR season opener.

Nestor Girolami claimed his second successive World Touring Car Cup pole position on the Nurburgring Nordschleife after topping a dry 40-minute session at the opening round of the 2021 season.

Formula 1 history is full of should'ves, could'ves and would'ves, but it's easy to see 1991 as the greatest missed opportunity in the illustrious history of Williams, allowing Ayrton Senna to steal his last and perhaps greatest world championship title

Yann Ehrlacher became the youngest ever FIA touring car champion at a global level on Sunday by clinching the World Touring Car Cup in Aragon, as his uncle Yvan Muller completed a Cyan Racing team one-two at the top of the standings.

At the turn of the century, McLaren seemed to have all the ingredients for lasting Formula 1 success. Instead, opportunities were missed and bridges were burned.

The tragic death of Bruce McLaren could have initiated his young team's demise. But remarkably, and inspired by Bruce's own determination and grit, they gathered themselves and pushed on to greater glory.

Years before Formula 1 teams entered into serious experiments with 4WD, one car had already brought the technology to the category - the Ferguson P99. It piqued Stirling Moss’s interest and took an unlikely victory.

An early 1980s Williams design has the honour of being both the first Formula 1 car tested by Ayrton Senna and the winner of one of the most famous Monaco Grands Prix. Damien Smith explains what makes the FW08C so special.

From F1 Racing & Motorsport PRIME: Some said that romance in motor racing died with Ferrari darling Gilles Villeneuve in 1982. Six years later, Enzo himself was gone. On the 30th anniversary of that day, this is how Ferrari's legend only grew stronger in adversity.

The Benetton B192 wasn't 1992's fastest Formula 1 car, but the brains behind it would go on to change the shape of the championship.

More races, more entertainment, more money. That might well be a glimpse into Formula 1's near future, but is that really what fans want? And more importantly, is it really for the best?