The Williams FW18-3 F1 car, which was driven by former driver Jacques Villeneuve, has recently been put up for sale.
The vehicle in question was used in Jacques' three important victories in his racing career, among them the famous overtaking on the Estoril track in 1996, while competing with Michael Schumacher.
“This car is on a different level than what most people have had the opportunity to experience,” said James Hanson, owner of the historic car dealership.
The Williams FW18-3 car
The FW18 was an imposing and elegant car, considered a reference for late 90's F1 car design.
The vehicle was designed by perhaps the greatest F1 designer Adrian Newey under the supervision of Williams Technical Director Patrik Head, while the aerodynamics were designed by Eghbal Hamdiy.
The car is powered by a 3.0-litre Renault V10 engine and in 1996 Williams recorded 12 victories, including the drivers' title as well as the constructor's title for the team.
Villeneuve drove the car in six races that year, and recorded three wins, two pole positions, two second places and a third place.
Only his teammate Damon Hill, who became the champion, was better than Villeneuve that year.
The Canadian passed Schumacher as he chased Hill in an attempt to keep his title chances alive.
All those who have driven Estoril know how difficult it is to make a risky maneuver there in a Formula 1 car.
The car has been privately owned for years, and one of the owners was McLaren F1 team boss Zak Brown.
Maintenance was handled by Williams' heritage department. The asking price for the car is £2.2 million.
Jacques Villeneuve's breathtaking overtake on Michael Schumacher was truly something else 🤩#PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/bfO64KuV1k
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 27, 2021
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