Haynes Motor Museum reopens popular Williams Formula One exhibition

Haynes Motor Museum is set to reopen one of its most popular exhibitions this week, exploring the history and stories behind Formula One and Williams Racing.

Reopening on Friday 4 April, the revamped Williams Racing exhibition showcases Formula One cars spanning the last 30 years. It offers a deep dive into motorsport history, exploring the rivalries that have shaped Formula 1, the journeys of those behind Williams Racing, and the physical demands of the sport.

One of the exhibition highlights is a stripped back chassis, otherwise known as the tub, from Alex Albon’s 2022 FW44 racing car. The feature demonstrates the precision engineering behind some of the 14,500 components that make up an F1 car, and how materials like carbon-fibre, titanium and Kevlar are crafted into the chassis built to maximise speed and efficiency.

Image: Williams F1 Exhibition at Haynes Motor Museum

“Williams has a rich history in Formula One, and with the sport’s popularity booming through shows such as ‘Drive to Survive’, we’ve been eager to update this exhibition for some time,” said Museum Curator, Dr Luca Hoare.

“As we develop the Museum, we’re keen to not only showcase fantastic vehicles in the collection, but also delve into the stories behind them, exploring their history and the people behind them. Our updated Williams exhibition is a great example of this approach, while also inspiring young people to consider careers in STEM,” she added.

The new exhibition also showcases the meticulous preparation and precision of Formula One. An interactive display demonstrates the evolution of the pitstop over the years and a cinema screening offers an insight into the engineering process behind the development of Williams racing car.

Image: Williams F1 Exhibition at Haynes Motor Museum

At the heart of the exhibition are the Williams Formula One cars themselves, including Damon Hill’s 1994 FW16, part of the team that secured the Constructor’s Championship that year, as well as Nigel Mansell’s famous 1991 FW14. Also on display are the FW38 from 2016 and the FW23 from 2001.

New interpretive panels provide deeper insights into Formula One over the past 75 years. This includes an interactive feature on racetracks around the world, insights into driver diets and training schedules and a wall dedicated to exploring the intense driver rivalries that have fuelled the sport for decades.

The exhibition will appeal to motor racing enthusiasts but also provide interest to wider audiences, including children through interactive features and new interpretative displays.

The exhibition reopens to visitors on Friday 4 April, and will be the first of three permanent and temporary exhibition developments at the Museum this year.

Founded as an independent registered charity by the successful automotive publisher, John Haynes OBE, Haynes Motor Museum has been the custodian of a unique and eclectic collection of vehicles since 1985. 

Housed within 15 exhibition spaces, the Museum showcases more than 300 vehicles and automotive memorabilia. From the earliest modes of motorised car in 1898 to the cutting-edge vehicles of today, the Museum tells the stories behind the people who designed them, made them and drove them and reflects on their impact on society.

As an independent charity all proceeds made go towards delivering learning activities to inspire current and future generations as well as conserving and preserving our motoring heritage collection.