Williams marked this weekend’s upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix by sharing a close-up video of the trophy they won in the race 40 years ago, when it was held at Jacarepagua in Rio de Janeiro.
It was an important win for the team, coming just 15 days after its founder Frank Williams suffered near-fatal injuries in a road car crash, which left him with paralysis.Anyone unfamiliar with the story might find it peculiar the team make no mention of the driver who scored the victory. Nelson Piquet not only won on his debut for the team, but did it on home ground, leading a Brazilian one-two with Lotus’s Ayrton Senna. The Jacarepagua circuit was named after Piquet before it was demolished.
Piquet did not last long at Williams. Unhappy at the team’s refusal to grant him ‘number one’ status, he left to join Lotus after winning the drivers’ championship with the team in 1987.
In 2022 the three-times world champion brought disgrace upon himself by making racist comments about Lewis Hamilton, prompting criticism from drivers, the FIA and Formula One Management.
An inspirational effort from our team at the 1986 Brazilian GP 🏆🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/HD68fBIgV3
— Atlassian Williams F1 Team (@WilliamsRacing) November 4, 2026
