WILLIAMS F1 RESTORES 2003 SEASON CAR AFTER 23 YEARS IN STORAGE

Williams Formula One has restored a race car used during the 2003 season and will return it to competitive track action on Friday at the Nurburgring in Germany. The FW25 model was driven as a test car by Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya throughout that season, when Williams finished second in the Constructors' Championship. The Grove-based team's heritage division completed the restoration project alongside engineers who originally worked on the vehicle in 2003. The car has not been driven competitively since the 2003 season ended.

The restored FW25 is powered by its original 3.0-litre V10 engine, configured to operate at 19,000 rpm as it did two decades ago. Jonathan Kennard, the F1 team's heritage director, stated the project involved input from the mechanics who worked on the car during its original season. Kennard told the BBC that access to those original engineers' knowledge was "absolutely wonderful" during the year-long restoration. He noted that Williams employed approximately 450 people when the car was originally designed, whilst the current heritage division operates with 31 staff members.

Kennard described the FW25 as "probably one of our favourite cars that we ever made in our history" and said the restored vehicle produces the characteristic high-pitched noise associated with V10 engines from that era of Formula One racing. He stated that when the engine was first started during restoration, the moment proved emotional for the team present. The restoration project was described by Kennard as "not cheap" to complete. The car's return to track action marks the first competitive outing for the vehicle in over two decades.