Our Formula 1 Journey: Navigating the Noughties

Williams Racing entered the 2000s with a legacy of success propelling them, having established itself as a powerhouse in Formula 1 over the 80s and 90s.

Yet the F1 landscape was changing, and the era of plucky privateer entries was a distant memory as spending to seek success in the sport saw a battle of deep pockets between automotive giants.

More engine manufacturers ran so-called 'works' teams to reach the front, with Honda, Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and Toyota all featuring.

Adapting to an evolving battleground, Frank Williams and Patrick Head brought the BMW name back to F1 after a 12-year absence, but it was clear that the team was entering a phase of transition.

The turn of the century had Williams leveraging the engineering expertise that had brought so much success in previous seasons, leading to a decade of podiums and victories but no titles.

With the might of BMW as an engine partner, a collaboration that brought renewed impetus to their competitiveness after frustrating seasons in 1998 and 1999, the team re-established themselves as race winners.

Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya became the drivers to spearhead the team's fight forward against old foes Ferrari and McLaren.

The trio of teams locked out the top three Constructors' championship positions in the four years between 2000 and 2003 as Ralf's brother Michael brought success to Maranello.

Both Schumachers were winning races, though, as Ralf took his first F1 victory and Williams' first in three years at the 2001 San Marino GP before following up with two more that season.

Juan Pablo and Ralf formed a potent partnership, with the former in the 2003 championship hunt, as Williams took two vice-champion Constructors slots over '02 and '03 before sliding back in '04.

With BMW announcing a move to another team in 2005 for the 2006 season, Williams Racing moved back to Cosworth power for a year and welcomed a familiar name: Rosberg.

Keke Rosberg had won his world championship with the team in 1982, and his son Nico made an immediate impression on his F1 debut, taking points and the fastest lap at the 2006 Bahrain GP.

Frustratingly, Bahrain was a false start for the season as retirements plagued both cars and the lowest points tally since the team's maiden 1978 season followed.

The decision to partner with Toyota for 2007 brought back more regular point-scoring ways, but victories proved elusive, and Alex Wurz's P3 in Canada was the season's high point.

Nico took to the podium himself in the 2008 season in Australia and Singapore, but these were flashes of speed and strategy rather than the consistent pace needed for championship hopes.

More points came in 2009 from Nico's regular top-10 finishes and the team's engineering prowess in developing the downforce-generating double diffuser for the FW31.

However, midfield competition was tight, and a P7 Constructors' Championship rounded out the decade.

With Toyota deciding to pull out of Formula 1 for 2010, another rocky period loomed ahead, but the 2000s had taught us a lot about resilience and adaptation.