Having missed the five-day Barcelona shakedown test, Williams has taken its first major step toward the 2026 Formula One season, completing the debut run of its all‑new FW48 at Silverstone.
The car appeared in the striking ‘Flow State’ livery — a design chosen directly by fans in a global vote — as Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz shared driving duties during a promotional filming day.
The Northamptonshire outing marked the first time the FW48 has been seen on track, giving supporters an early glimpse of the machine that will carry Williams into the new regulations era.
The ‘Flow State’ livery was selected from six competing concepts as part of the team’s ‘Your Livery’ initiative, which drew almost 55,000 votes from fans across 162 countries over a seven‑day period in December. The project forms part of Williams’ broader commitment to bringing fans closer to the sport through digital engagement and live activations.
The shakedown also represented the first track appearance for several new commercial partners who joined the team over the winter, including Barclays, Claude, BNY, Wilkinson Sword and Nuveen. Their arrival adds further momentum to Williams’ growing roster of global brands supporting the team’s long‑term transformation.
The Silverstone run came just one day after the FW48’s official race livery was unveiled to the 1,200‑strong workforce at Grove — a moment that recognised the tens of thousands of hours invested in preparing the car for the 2026 season.
Team Principal James Vowles described the day as a significant milestone for the organisation. “This was a milestone day for us and it is always a very proud moment to see a new car on track for the first time,” he said.
“The team has absolutely pulled together under the pressure of the situation and delivered a car today for a planned promotional filming day here at Silverstone.
“We were able to understand more about our package in preparation for Bahrain next week, and Carlos and Alex were able to provide some positive feedback to direct us, while also identifying some minor issues for us to clean up between now and then. The push isn’t over yet – this is just the beginning and there is more in front of us.”
Albon reported a productive and largely trouble‑free first outing. “That’s shakedown done! Obviously a few bits of data to look at and areas to improve, but generally a fairly smooth day,” he said.
— Atlassian Williams F1 Team (@WilliamsF1) February 4, 2026
“We had decent weather for Silverstone at this time of year and glad to finally be in the car and driving the FW48. Our full focus is on Bahrain now, looking at the data and getting ready for the start of the season.”
Sainz echoed the sense of progress and anticipation as he completed his first laps in Williams colours. “We just had our first laps in the FW48! It’s always an exciting, special day for the drivers, the mechanics and the entire team and it’s been a great effort from everyone to get the car on track today,” he said.
“It was a typical winter day at Silverstone, so we focused on getting in our first few laps and completing our shakedown plan. We are ready to fly to Bahrain in a few days where we’ll dive into more complete run plans, so I’m looking forward to it!”