Grove: Williams F1 team celebrates 600 races at British Grand Prix

The Williams F1 team celebrated a landmark achievement this weekend at the British Grand Prix - reaching 600 races in Formula One.

Founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, Williams has secured 297 podiums, 114 race wins and 16 World Championship titles over the past 36 years. Nine of these titles have been won in the Constructors’ Championship, with the remaining seven titles being Drivers’ Championships won with Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.

Williams has grown into a significant international business since its inception and its achievements earned founder and team principal Frank Williams a knighthood in the 1999 New Year’s Honours List to augment France’s highest decoration, the legion d’Honneur.

The team publicly celebrated reaching 600 races at its home Grand Prix – a fitting place to celebrate as Silverstone witnessed the team’s first ever race win in 1979 and its 100th race win in 1997.

The team will officially reach 600 starts in Formula One at the German Grand Prix this coming weekend, and will mark this milestone by displaying the number 600 on the sidepod of both FW35s. The livery will also be emblazoned with the names of all 691 Williams employees who work across all divisions of the Williams Group as a tribute to their continued hard work and dedication.

Williams commented: “For an independent team like Williams to reach 600 races at the pinnacle of motorsport is a remarkable achievement. Seventy eight teams have come and gone or changed ownership since our foundation and our longevity is a testament to the thousands of people who have sacrificed so much to keep us here. It seems only right to mark this milestone at the home of British motorsport alongside our loyal British fans.”

Claire Williams, deputy team principal and commercial director, added: “Williams has never been an organisation to dwell on what has gone before, but this weekend we will be rightly celebrating our heritage and reflecting on some of our defining moments over the past 36 years. This is also an opportunity for us to take stock and look ahead to the future, making sure that we have the necessary pieces in place to make our next 600 races just as memorable.”