In only his second year in the topflight, Jacques Villeneuve dominated the 1997 Formula 1 World Championship to spearhead Williams’ charge to a ninth Constructors’ crown. The Canadian chalked a mighty seven wins across 17 rounds to comfortably snare the Drivers’ title, scoring almost twice the points of team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen while McLaren’s David Coulthard ranked a distant third. However, 1998 marked a season of major change as F1 adopted grooved tyres and narrower-track cars to cut cornering speeds and aid overtaking.

Villeneuve lined up for the opening race of this new era aboard the Williams FW20, chassis number 03 offered here. He qualified 4th in Melbourne and finished the contest in 5th. This car served as a spare in Brazil before being entrusted to Villeneuve again in Argentina. Although unable to convert 7th on the grid due to a collision with Coulthard, he steered chassis 03 to 6th in qualifying in San Marino and then climbed two places to 4th at the chequered flag.

Thereafter, chassis 03 was a designated spare car for seven of the remaining 11 rounds in 1998. Furthermore, it was used extensively for testing, with notable Williams alumni Juan Pablo Montoya, Frentzen, Alex Zanardi, and Max Wilson racking up critical development mileage en route to the team ending the year with 3rd place in the standings.

This FW20 was sold via the Williams Heritage department to its consigning owner and is now offered for sale at Woodcote Park with the potential of being the ultimate track day experience. Unlike many surviving F1 cars that have subsequently been converted into static display pieces, FW20-03 retains a remarkable degree of period mechanical integrity. The car isfitted with an original, period-correct Mecachrome V-10 engine block and cylinder head. Please note: the engine is out of life.

Furthermore, the car is equipped with a Williams-built longitudinal gearbox, cockpit installation, and Williams-labelled Penske suspension assemblies. Numerous factory markings, engineering tags, serial references, and subsystem identification markings remain present throughout the car’s major components. For a breakdown of what is required to return chassis 03 to running condition, please speak to an RM Sotheby’s specialist.

Presented in its bright red, season-correct ‘Winfield’ colours and sporting the #1 livery of the then defending World Champion Villeneuve, this FW20 is sure to star among the top entries at any private track day or demonstration events. It is a prime candidate for restoration and represents an unbeatable driving experience.