Guy Martin to restore and race ex-Senna and Rosberg Williams F1 car
TV PERSONALITY and Isle of Man TT racer Guy Martin has embarked on his latest restoration project: the rebuilding of a classic Williams Formula One car in time for this year’s British Grand Prix weekend, where it is hoped he will race the car against former F1 champ Jenson Button.
Collaborating with the team at Williams Heritage (the custodians of Williams’ Formula one car collection), Martin will be assisting in the restoration of a very special race winner: then-reigning world champion Keke Rosberg drove the Williams FW08C to a dominant win at the 1983 Monaco Grand Prix.
The connection with legendary racing drivers doesn’t end there, though. In the same year it won the race in Monaco, Rosberg’s Williams was driven by the future three-time F1 champ Ayrton Senna during a test day at Donington Park.
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Williams has some big ideas for the car, with the main plan being to have the car finished in time for a historic F1 car support race at next month’s British Grand Prix — with Guy Martin set to drive the renovated race winner in the event.
Williams Heritage won’t be entering just one car into the Masters Historic support events. A prototype, six-wheeled Williams FW08B — that was banned just months before the start of the 1983 campaign, and so never raced in a Grand Prix — will also participate, with 2009 F1 champion (and 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours participant) Button set to be behind the wheel.
Much like prior Guy Martin ventures, the Williams FW08C restoration is the subject of an upcoming documentary. Set to be titled “Speed with Guy Martin: Classic F1 Racer”, the in-development show is currently scheduled to be televised by Channel 4 later in the year.
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Guy Martin drives Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Edition (2015)
