Williams has already defined one of the highlights of its 2027 season, as next year’s car will be christened the FW50, in reference to the team’s 50 years in Formula 1. The celebration will also feature a historic exhibition in London and a special livery for the British Grand Prix, the look of which will be chosen by the fans.
The program marks five decades since the team was founded by Frank Williams and Patrick Head. Williams will be only the third team in the history of the sport to reach this milestone, after Ferrari and McLaren, and aims to use the occasion both to celebrate its achievements and to bring a new generation of fans closer to its story.
The W50 Live exhibition will take place in London from February 11 to 28, 2027. The public will be able to see several of the team’s historical cars, including the FW06, the first model built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering, the FW11B used by Nelson Piquet to win the 1987 World Championship, and the FW14B, with which Nigel Mansell clinched the 1992 title. Also on display will be the FW19 by Jacques Villeneuve, from 1997, the FW25 from 2003, and the FW38, which recorded a speed of 378 km/h, a record highlighted by the team itself.
A display version of the FW50 will be unveiled during the event, although the exact date has not yet been disclosed. Later, fans will be able to vote to determine the livery that Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will wear exclusively for the Silverstone round. Williams is still deciding how this vote will be conducted.
The choice of the British circuit carries historical weight, as it was at Silverstone that Clay Regazzoni earned Williams’ first victory, in 1979, and Jacques Villeneuve achieved the team’s 100th win, in 1997. In total, the team has won eight times on the circuit, three of them with Mansell.
The team chief, James Vowles, stated that the celebration should also inspire Williams’ next steps. According to him, independence, passion, and the will to win remain in the organization’s DNA, and the celebrations will present its stories and protagonists to new fans.
Sainz emphasized that the objective must go beyond honoring the past: “It is also about using this legacy as a reminder of where we want to be, at the forefront of this sport, both in performance and in innovation,” said the Spaniard.
Albon, for his part, said it will be an honor to represent the team on the anniversary and highlighted the opportunity to involve the fans in the celebrations.
Since its creation, Williams has won nine Constructors’ titles, seven Drivers’ championships, and 114 Grand Prix victories. The Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, also paid tribute to the team, highlighting Frank Williams’ influence on the sport’s history and identity.
