Its engine was a Renault RS6 3.5 V10. The team's main sponsor was Rothmans, replacing Camel Cigarettes and Canon used on the FW14 and FW15C. The car was designed around the major regulation changes that the FIA had introduced in the off-season, banning the various electronic devices that had been used by the front running cars during the preceding two seasons.
Its engine was a Renault RS6 3.5 V10. Rothmans became the primary sponsor, replacing Camel Cigarettes and Canon from the FW14 and FW15C. The car was designed with the new FIA regulations in mind, which banned electronic devices used by leading cars during the previous two seasons.