The team was adversely affected by the departure of Chief Designer Adrian Newey to McLaren, and Renault's withdrawal from F1 as an engine supplier.

Also gone was the highly distinctive blue and white Rothmans livery, as the company had decided to promote its Winfield brand.

[4] At the car's launch, Patrick Head and Geoff Willis admitted that the FW20 was a fairly conservative design but stressed that they were still hopeful of being competitive.

The team endured their first winless season since 1988 and finished a distant third in the Constructors' Championship, with three podiums and no wins, a long way behind McLaren and Ferrari.

He signed with the new British American Racing team for 1999, and Frentzen departed to Jordan after two seasons spent largely in the shadow of his teammate.