Newey had previously designed cost-effective and efficient cars for March and was now able to apply his ideas to a fully-funded project with Williams.

The FW14 was a completely new design, except for the engine, and its promising performance was enough to convince Nigel Mansell to rejoin Williams from Ferrari and delay his retirement plans.

[4] Powered by a 3.5-litre V10 Renault engine with its design and development led by Bernard Dudot, the car is considered one of the most technologically sophisticated to have competed in Formula One.

With the aerodynamics as designed by Newey and the active suspension invented by designer/aerodynamicist Frank Dernie, the car was far ahead of its competitors, such as the McLaren MP4/7A, Ferrari F92A or Lotus 107, and it made for a strong package.

Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese recorded 7 victories between them but the Drivers' Championship was wrapped up by Ayrton Senna in the McLaren MP4/6, which had better reliability.

In 1992, after further development work was done to the gearbox and aerodynamics, and electronics technology such as a traction control and active suspension system were added, the B-spec.

Patrese did not warm to the car as much as the FW14, as he preferred the passive suspension in that chassis, whereas the increased level of downforce generated by the FW14B suited Mansell's aggressive driving style much better.

Retired four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel drove Nigel Mansell's Williams FW14B at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed along with Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP4/8.