FW14B

Lore & Background

In 1992, after further development work was done to the gearbox and aerodynamics, and electronics technology such as a traction control and active suspension system were added, the B-spec. FW14, known as the FW14B was introduced for the 1992 season. The FW14B was the dominant car that year and Mansell wrapped up the 1992 Drivers' Championship with a then-record nine wins in a season, whilst Patrese scored a further win at the Japanese Grand Prix. Patrese did not warm to the car as much as the FW14, as he preferred the passive suspension in that chassis, whereas the increased level of downforce generated by the FW14B suited Mansell's aggressive driving style much better. The main visible difference between the FW14 and FW14B were a pair of bulbous protrusions above the latter's front pushrods, which contained the active suspension technology. The FW14B also featured a longer nose section. The car had been present at the Australian Grand Prix the previous year, but Mansell had elected to use the regular FW14 in that race. The result was there were many races in the 1992 season where Mansell and Patrese would gain two seconds per lap on the rest of the field, especially in the early laps, which made the FW14B far superior to even the next best car, the McLaren MP4/7A. Another example of Williams's dominance that year was at qualifying at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Mansell's pole position-winning lap was a whole two seconds faster than Patrese, who in turn was a second faster than third placed Ayrton Senna. Williams were clear winners of the 1992 Constructors' Championship, but the season ended in acrimony as Mansell left the team after Alain Prost was signed, while Patrese moved to Benetton for his swansong season in 1993. A total of six chassis were built. The numbering continued from the FW14, so FW14B serial numbers 6 through 11 were built. In 2020, it was revealed that Sebastian Vettel bought Nigel Mansell's no. 5 FW14B, the same chassis that won the 1992 F1 world title.

Reader's Guide

The FW14B appears in the video game F1 2013 as part of the 'F1 Classics' downloadable content. In May 2017, Codemasters announced that the car will appear in F1 2017 as one of the classic cars. It also appears in F1 2018, F1 2019, and F1 2020. On 5 July 2019, the Williams FW14B chassis number FW14/8 was sold for £2,703,000 at auction by Bonhams at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Retired four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel drove Nigel Mansell's Williams FW14B at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed along with Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP4/8. Scale model kits of the FW14 and FW14B have been released by companies such as Hasegawa, Tamiya and Fujimi. The FW14B had a Lego Icons set (no. 10353) that was released on 1 March 2025. It also includes a Nigel Mansell minifigure.

Did You Know?

• The FW14B featured semi-automatic transmission, active suspension, traction control and, for a brief period, anti-lock brakes.
• The active suspension was invented by designer/aerodynamicist Frank Dernie.
• The FW14B was so successful that its successor (the initial FW15), which was available mid-season in 1992, was never used.
• Both versions of the FW14 won a combined 17 Grands Prix, 21 pole positions, and 289 points before being replaced with the FW15C for 1993.