Williams ready to play catch-up after new livery reveal

Dubai: The Formula 1 season is well and truly underway for 10 of the 11 teams in the fray this season. For Williams though, it has already become a season of playing catch-up to their rivals.

On Tuesday, Williams revealed the striking blue livery that will adorn their 2026 Formula 1 challenger, something that the other teams had done long back. Team Principal James Vowles and his race drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon unveiled the new look to their 1,200-strong workforce at Grove.

Williams have had a bumpy start to 2026 after the team opted not to take part in last week’s Barcelona Shakedown because of delays in production. While the other 10 teams managed to get hundreds of laps under the belt during the five-day testing and have managed to gather a fair amount of reliability data, Williams have been busy getting their car together just for the official unveiling this week.

Vowles later said the FW48 has passed all mandatory crash tests and the team are ready to take part in the official pre-season testing in Bahrain which begins next week on February 11. The iconic British team are looking to make another step forward in their quest to return to the sharp end of the field after securing a superb fifth-placed finish in the Constructors’ Championship in 2025.

Vowles said: “2026 is the next step on the path back towards the top for Atlassian Williams F1 Team as we enter a new era for the sport, and we are excited about the season ahead.

“We have a great driver line up, some fantastic new partners, an ever-growing fanbase and want to build on the success we tasted last year, but we are not naive about the challenge ahead of us.

“Nobody quite knows what will happen at the first race but we are looking forward to finding out, and hope our fans will love cheering us on with this great new livery.”

Stands out

Albon, whose best finish was fifth in four races last season, said: “It’s always special to see a new livery for the first time and the FW48 looks incredible. The design really stands out — it’s bold, modern and unmistakably Atlassian Williams F1 Team.

“I can’t wait for the fans to see it on track and cheer us on in 2026.”

Sainz, who soared to two podium finishes — finishing third at both Azerbaijan and Qatar, added: “The FW48 is a real statement of our intent for 2026. The design celebrates Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s heritage while embracing a fresh, dynamic look for the new era.

“I’m excited to race in this livery and to share the thrill with fans around the world — their support makes all the difference as we continue on our journey together.”