Williams will title its 2027 Formulation 1 automobile the FW50, skipping the FW49 designation fully, as a part of a year-long programme marking the group’s fiftieth anniversary.
The Grove-based outfit will change into solely the third group within the sport’s historical past to succeed in the milestone, after Ferrari and McLaren. It made an identical leap on its fortieth anniversary, shifting straight from the FW38 to the FW40.
Followers can even be given the possibility to decide on the livery the FW50 will race at Silverstone, which can run for the British Grand Prix solely.
The group has received eight instances at its residence circuit, together with its first victory, with Clay Regazzoni in 1979, and its one hundredth, with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. Williams has not but mentioned how the vote will work.
The centrepiece of the celebrations is W50 Stay, a ticketed exhibition at 26 Leake Road in Waterloo, London, operating from 11 to twenty-eight February 2027. The placement is a nod to the group’s origins, with Frank Williams discovering co-founder Patrick Head working in a storage underneath a London railway arch.
The actor-led exhibition will transfer guests via six themed areas. Vehicles on show will embody the FW06, the primary automobile constructed by Williams Grand Prix Engineering, alongside Nelson Piquet’s 1987 title-winning FW11B, Nigel Mansell’s dominant FW14B from 1992, Villeneuve’s 1997 FW19, and the FW38, through which Valtteri Bottas recorded 378kph. A present automobile of the FW50 can even be displayed. Tickets go on pre-sale to W Membership members on 26 October, with normal sale from 29 October.
The FW50 will likely be pushed by Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Albon this 12 months grew to become the driving force with essentially the most begins in Williams historical past, passing Mansell’s file of 95 on the Spanish Grand Prix. Sainz joins Mansell and Alain Prost as considered one of three drivers to have raced for all three groups to succeed in 50 years in F1.
“We all know what Williams has been able to prior to now, and now it’s our flip to maintain constructing this group again right into a successful group,” Sainz mentioned.
Crew principal James Vowles pointed to the group’s unbiased origins. “It’s unbelievable to assume that over 100 F1 groups have come and gone since Frank Williams constructed this group from subsequent to nothing,” he mentioned.
Williams has received 9 constructors’ championships, seven drivers’ titles and 114 grands prix. Its final constructors’ title got here in 1997.
Different plans embody limited-edition merchandise, a W50 Monopoly set due earlier than Christmas, and a teNeues espresso desk e-book. Williams mentioned extra anniversary occasions will likely be introduced within the coming months.
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