After founding Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 1977, the team secured a first Formula One victory at the British Grand Prix two years later.
The team went on to win the F1 drivers’ title seven times and constructors’ championship nine times between 1980 and 1997.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look back at Williams’ F1 career in pictures.
Frank Williams (left) and Australian driver Alan Jones (centre) helped guide the team to a double success in the 1980 Formula One season (PA Archive) (PA Archive)Frank Williams was confined to a wheelchair following a car accident in March 1986, but soon returned to lead the F1 team, which included British driver Nigel Mansell (left) (PA Archive) (PA Archive)Williams brought in Brazilian Nelson Piquet (right) to battle it out with British driver Nigel Mansell (PA Archive) (PA Archive)Williams never truly got over the tragic death of Ayrton Senna (PA) (PA Archive)Williams went on to become the longest-serving team boss in F1 history (Sean Dempsey/PA) (PA Archive)Williams continued to push the team on to more success (David Davies/PA) (PA Archive)Despite his personal health problems, Williams kept a keen eye on the team’s track performance (David Davies/PA) (PA Archive)Williams, who received a knighthood in 1999, catches up with Sir Jackie Stewart (right) in Barcelona (David Davies/PA) (PA Archive)Williams enjoyed a ‘hot lap’ with Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton during a preview day for the 2019 British Grand Prix at Silverstone (David Davies/PA) (PA Archive)Williams had stepped down from the board of the Williams F1 team in 2012 (David Davies/PA) (PA Archive)
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