This 1997 Williams-Renault FW19 Driven by Jacques Villeneuve is For Sale
An unprecedented and exceptional auction of Renault cars, called "The Renault Icons," will be held on December 7 at the same Renault factory in Flins-sur-Seine (near Paris) that will also become the future Renault collections museum.
No fewer than 180 road cars, race cars, concept cars and other collector's items will be up for auction, but none with a higher estimated value than this Williams-Renault FW19 that was occasionally driven by Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, the year he won the World Drivers' Championship. According to Artcurial, which will be hosting the sale, it could change hands for 800,000-1.2 million euros ($1.3 million-$2.0 million CAD).
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Developed under the supervision of chief engineer Adrian Newey (before he left for McLaren), the car is the third of seven FW19 chassis built by Williams for the 1997 season. It was initially used during pre-season testing, then as Villeneuve's reserve car at the Australian, Monaco, German, Japanese and Spanish Grands Prix. Its only race appearance was at the Brazilian Grand Prix, driven by Villeneuve's teammate, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, where it finished ninth.
This FW19 then took part in winter testing in December 1997, driven by Max Wilson and a certain Juan Pablo Montoya, who was still a Formula 3000 driver but would become Williams' iconic driver in 2001. It officially joined the Renault Collection on October 1, 1998, following an agreement between Williams and Renault for the latter to acquire a single-seater race car at the end of the 1997 season.
Rarely seen on display and meticulously preserved since then, the car is equipped with its original Renault RS9 V10 engine, suspension system, running gear, electrical wiring, electronic control modules and radiators. It sports Jacques Villeneuve's colours and racing number 3, while the inside of the bucket seat is embossed with the initials ‘JV.’
Other FW19 cars that were driven more extensively by the Quebec driver in 1997 are certainly worth more today, but the value of this one can’t be ignored as it tops one million dollars. Take a closer look by browsing the photo gallery at the top of the page.
Incidentally, "The Renault Icons" auction also includes a 1983 Renault RE 40-03 driven by Alain Prost, notably during his victory at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. That car is estimated at 500,000-800,000 euros ($815,000-$1.3 million CAD).