The Team
The partnership between BMW and Williams dissolved amid mutual finger pointing, and the team switched to Cosworth power for 2006.
The early races were full of promise, Nico Rosberg shone for the team, claiming seventh place and the fastest race lap time, while Mark Webber's P6 meant Williams had a double points-scoring finish at the opening race in Bahrain. But reliability problems led to several podium chances being lost, and the team hastily fell back. Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head have overcome too many challenges and achieved too much success to give up without a fight, though.
For the 2007 season, Williams have retained Rosberg, while test driver Alex Wurz has replaced Mark to be race driver. The team has also swapped to Toyota engines in the FW29 and in landing a few new sponsors; extra cash will be coming in. Few are expecting the team to the front of the grid.
It would be popular to see Williams’s recovery, and this team has achieved the seemingly impossible before. So here’s hoping the Williams story is not over yet.
Nico Rosberg
With the departure of Nick Heidfeld to BMW in 2006, Nico Rosberg was been given his big break in F1. But, his first season was a difficult one for him, due to Williams' failures rather than his own.
Although Nico scored points in his very first grand prix and even finished the race with the fastest lap time, the rest of the season was a struggle.
The German will continue with Williams in 2007 where, armed with a Toyota powered FW29, he will be expecting better results. But, likewise, better results will also be expected of the well thought-of youngster.
Alex Wurz
Alexander Wurz quit McLaren at the end of the 2005 in favour of a move to Williams as their official test and reserve driver. As a result he had the chance to prove himself during grand prix Fridays and in 2006 the team announced that Alex would replace Mark Webber as a race driver for the 2007 season.
He has undoubted talent, but is yet to prove himself as a race driver, so it is time for him to do just that this season.