Will Davison
Will Davison | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 30, 1982 Australia |
| Occupation | Professional racing driver |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | Competing in Repco Supercars Championship, two-time Bathurst 1000 winner (2009, 2016) |
William Davison (born 30 August 1982) is a professional racing driver from Australia. He currently competes in the Repco Supercars Championship behind the wheel of the No.17 Ford Mustang GT for Dick Johnson Racing. Davison has claimed victory twice at the prestigious Bathurst 1000, winning in both 2009 and 2016.
Early career
Davison captured the Victorian championship in 2000 before going on to win the 2001 Australian Formula Ford Championship, where he competed alongside future notable drivers such as IndyCar competitor Will Power and Leanne Ferrier.
European campaign
To further his racing ambitions, Davison relocated to Buckinghamshire, England, achieving fourth place in the 2002 season of the British Formula Renault Championship. In 2003, he progressed to the British Formula 3 Championship with Alan Docking Racing, but a mid-season transfer to Menu F3 disrupted his momentum. He remained with Menu F3 throughout 2004 until financial difficulties curtailed his season. That same year, Davison participated in a test session for a Minardi Formula One car at Italy's Misano World Circuit, alongside Will Power, an opportunity facilitated by Minardi's Australian owner, Paul Stoddart.
A1 Grand Prix
Between his stints in Formula 3 and V8 Supercars, Davison represented A1 Team Australia during the inaugural season of the A1 Grand Prix series with Alan Docking Racing. Despite facing various setbacks and incidents outside his control, he secured two sixth-place finishes in feature races held in Portugal and Australia.
Team Dynamik
Davison made his debut in Australia's top-tier touring car competition, V8 Supercars, in 2004 driving a third entry for Team Dynamik at Winton. His initial outing was short-lived, completing only one lap before retiring. He returned for the following round at Oran Park and also co-drove with Dale Brede during endurance events including the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000, wrapping up his debut season.
Dick Johnson Racing
Without securing a full-time position in 2005, Davison participated in endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst for Dick Johnson Racing, sharing driving duties with Steven Johnson in the No. 17 Westpoint Falcon. By November that year, he earned a full-time contract for the 2006 season piloting the team's No. 18 Falcon.
The 2006 campaign proved difficult due to mechanical setbacks, with a best race result of fourth at Sandown alongside Johnson, culminating in a 19th place finish in the overall standings. In 2007, with new backing from sponsor Jim Beam, Davison continued driving the No. 18 Falcon and teamed up again with Johnson for endurance events, achieving third place at Bathurst and ending the year tenth in points. The following season, he notched his first championship race win and round victory at Eastern Creek Raceway, marking Dick Johnson Racing's first round triumph in seven years. Additional podium finishes included one alongside Johnson at the Phillip Island 500, and he concluded the season with a career-best fifth position in the championship rankings.
Holden Racing Team
In 2009, Davison became part of the Holden Racing Team, piloting the No. 22 Holden VE Commodore. This year marked his most successful season at that point: he secured second place in the championship, claimed a round victory at the Sandown Challenge, won a race at Queensland Raceway, and achieved an endurance double triumph at the Phillip Island 500 and Bathurst 1000 alongside Garth Tander, earning his inaugural Bathurst win. Throughout the season, he also attained multiple podium finishes and was honored with the esteemed Barry Sheene Medal.
Continuing with HRT in 2010, Davison encountered ongoing mechanical difficulties and misfortune, ultimately finishing 22nd in the standings. Midway through the year, he declared his exit from Holden Racing Team and committed to Ford Performance Racing for the 2011 season, where he would drive the No. 6 Trading Post FPR Falcon.
Ford Performance Racing
Davison's 2011 campaign featured four pole positions and six podiums, culminating in a seventh-place finish in the championship despite not securing any race wins.
The following year, 2012, began with strong momentum as Davison won six out of eleven races, including his maiden victory at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide. He was a frontrunner in a close championship contest against Jamie Whincup and teammate Mark Winterbottom. Nevertheless, setbacks during endurance events—despite earning his first Bathurst 1000 pole position—resulted in a fourth-place overall championship finish.
In 2013, Davison’s season was disrupted by several on-track incidents, which led to him finishing third behind Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup of Triple Eight Racing.
Erebus Motorsport
At the start of 2014, Davison signed a four-year deal with Erebus Motorsport, driving a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. He ended the 2014 season in 14th place and slipped to 15th in 2015. During this period, he achieved one victory at the 2015 Ubet Perth Super Sprint along with six top-five results. Teaming up with his brother Alex Davison for the Enduro Cup, they narrowly missed out on a Bathurst podium in 2014. Financial difficulties within Erebus Motorsport prompted Davison to explore options for a move by mid-2015.
Tekno Autosports
Davison returned to Holden machinery in 2016 by joining Tekno Autosports, marking his first Holden drive since 2010. He quickly found success by winning the second round at the Tasmania SuperSprint. Although facing challenges during mid-season, he regained form during the Enduro Cup, finishing third at Sandown alongside teammate Jonathon Webb. At the Bathurst 1000 that year, Davison capitalized on late-race developments to secure his second Bathurst victory without leading any laps.
23Red Racing
From 2018 until its closure in 2020, Davison raced in the Supercars Championship representing 23Red Racing.
Dick Johnson Racing
In late 2020, Davison signed with Dick Johnson Racing to compete in the 2021 Supercars Championship, partnering with fellow driver Anton de Pasquale.
GT career
Davison has competed multiple times in the prestigious Bathurst 12 Hour, achieving his best result with a third-place finish in the 2014 event while driving an Erebus Motorsport-prepared Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
Personal life
Belonging to a distinguished racing lineage, Davison’s grandfather Lex Davison claimed four victories at the Australian Grand Prix and won the 1957 Australian Drivers' Championship. His father Richard Davison secured the title in the 1980 Australian Formula 2 Championship, while his brother Alex Davison captured the 2004 Australian Carrera Cup Championship and competed in Supercars. Cousin James Davison has participated in both the IndyCar Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series. His grandmother, Diana Davison, was among Australia’s pioneering female racing drivers, and step-grandfather Tony Gaze was notable both as a decorated WWII fighter pilot and as a Formula One competitor.
In early 2020, Davison married Riana Crehan, who works as a Supercars Media pit reporter.
Career achievements
Complete British Formula 3 results
(key)
| Year | Team | Car Chassis | Engine Manufacturer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Final Position | Total Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Alan Docking Racing | Dallara F303 model | Mugen-powered Honda | DON 1 12 |
DON 2 12 |
SNE 1 22 |
SNE 2 Ret |
CRO 1 1 |
CRO 2 Ret |
KNO 1 5 |
KNO 2 5 |
SIL 1 4 |
SIL 2 7 |
CAS 1 Ret |
CAS 2 16 |
OUL 1 5 |
OUL 2 8 |
ROC 1 9 |
ROC 2 Ret |
THR 1 Ret |
THR 2 7 |
8th place | 103 points | ||||||||||
| Menu F3 Motorsport | Dallara F303 chassis | Powered by Opel Spiess engine | SPA 1 14 |
SPA 2 11 |
DON 1 4 |
DON 2 7 |
BRH 1 2 |
BRH 2 7 |
|- | 2004 ! Menu F3 Motorsport team ! Dallara F304 chassis ! Opel engine
|style=background:#CFCFFF| DON
1
14 |style=background:#FFDF9F| DON
2
3 |style=background:#DFFFDF | SIL < br >1 < br >< small >10 < / small > |style=background:#FFFFFF | SIL < br >2 < br >< small > C < / small > |style=background:#FFDF9F | CRO < br >1 < br >< small >3 < / small > |style=background:#DFDFDF | CRO < br >2 < br >< small >2 < / small > |style=background:#EFCFFF | KNO < br >1 < br >< small >Ret < / small > |style=background:#DFFFDF | KNO < br >2 < br >< small >7 < / small > |style=background:#CFCFFF | SNE < br >1 < br >< small >13 < / small > |style=background:#DFFFDF | SNE < br >2 < br >< small >8 < / small > |style=background:#DFFFDF | SNE < br >3 < br >< small >10 < / small > | | | | | | | | | | | | ! 13th position ! 48 points
|}
Full A1 Grand Prix Results
(legend) (Races shown in bold denote pole position) (Races in italics signify fastest lap)
| Season | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Final Standing | Total Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | A1 Team Australia | GBR SPR |
GBR FEA |
GER SPR |
GER FEA |
POR SPR Retired |
POR FEA 6th |
AUS SPR 11th |
AUS FEA 6th |
MYS SPR Retired |
MYS FEA 11th |
UAE SPR 21st |
UAE FEA 10th |
RSA SPR 9th |
RSA FEA Retired |
13th place | 51 points |
Supercars Championship Performance
| Overview of Supercars Championship results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team Name | Vehicle Model | Individual Races | Final Rank | Accumulated Points | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Team Dynamik | Holden Commodore VY |
style=background:#EFCFFF | WIN R14 (Retired) style=background:#ffffff | ORA R15 (Did Not Start) style="background:#000000; color:white" | ORA R16 (Disqualified) style=background:#EFCFFF | SAN R17 (Retired) style=background:#efcfff | BAT R18 (Retired) |
Not Classified |
0 points | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Race Results | Championship Position | Points Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Dick Johnson Racing | Ford Falcon BA | style=background:#dfffdf | SAN R20 (18th) style=background:#dfffdf | BAT R21 (19th) |
60th place |
124 points | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| -- Subsequent seasons follow a similar structure with summarized race outcomes and key achievements highlighted -- | -- Performance summary includes: -- | -- - Multiple top-five finishes in championship standings from 2008 through 2013 -- | -- - Significant wins at prestigious events such as Bathurst 1000 and Sandown 500 -- | -- - Continuous involvement with prominent teams including Dick Johnson Racing, Ford Performance Racing, Erebus Motorsport, Tekno Autosports among others -- | -- - Progression through various Ford models including Falcon variants and Mustang S550/S650 -- | -- - Recent years demonstrate mid-tier championship rankings with ongoing competitive presence -- | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
