Which driver gave Williams its first Formula 1 Grand Prix victory in 1979?

Clay Regazzoni gave Williams its first Formula 1 Grand Prix victory at the 1979 British Grand Prix. The race was held at Silverstone on 14 July 1979, and Regazzoni won by more than 24 seconds for the emerging Williams team.

Williams had entered Formula 1 in 1977 and was still establishing itself when it introduced the ground-effect FW07. Regazzoni’s teammate Alan Jones took pole position, but a water leak forced Jones to retire. Regazzoni then converted the car’s pace into the team’s breakthrough victory.

The result began a remarkable second half of the 1979 season for Williams. Jones won the next three races in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, while Williams quickly became a major championship force. A common mix-up is to credit Jones because he dominated qualifying, but Regazzoni was the driver who finished first.