The 1997 season marked a pivotal moment in Williams' history, as they bid farewell to their dominant era with Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell at the helm.
Despite losing two of its most iconic drivers, Williams continued to be a force to be reckoned with, driven by Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jacques Villeneuve.
The FW19 chassis that Villeneuve drove to his sole F1 championship was built on the same recipe that had served Williams so well up to this point, with Renault V10 power and Adrian Newey design work at the forefront.
Villeneuve's car went on to secure eight wins, 11 pole positions, nine fastest laps, and 15 podiums across 17 races, cementing its place in F1 history.
However, this was truly the end of an era, as Newey joined McLaren for the 1998 season and Renault halted its factory engine program.
Williams would go on to struggle in the years that followed, failing to win another race until 2012, which remains their last win to date.
The car up for auction is chassis number six, one of only six FW19 chassis built, and has been fully restored since its sale to its current owner in 2019.
RM Sotheby's expects the car to sell for between $1.4 million and $2.0 million at current exchange rates, a price that reflects its lack of competition history.
Regardless of how much it sells for, this sale serves as an important reminder of what Williams used to be, a dominant force in F1 that continues to captivate fans today.
This sale marks an important milestone in the history of Formula 1, highlighting the dominance of Williams in the 1990s.
