Williams surprises: new FW48 hits the track at Silverstone
Williams has finally unveiled their 2026 Formula 1 car after weeks of uncertainty. The FW48 made its first shakedown at Silverstone, putting an end to a winter marked by delays, technical doubts, and their absence from the Barcelona tests.
A challenging winter for a team on the rise
The Grove-based squad comes off one of its best seasons in the last decade, finishing fifth in the Constructors’ Championship and achieving two podiums thanks to Carlos Sainz—the team’s best results since 2016. With this momentum, entering the new regulatory cycle carried high expectations.
However, the winter was not without difficulties. Williams was the only team to miss the Barcelona shakedown, officially due to delays in producing the FW48. Paddock rumours suggested issues with crash tests and the car exceeding FIA weight limits, but team principal James Vowles denied these claims. He confirmed there were no structural problems, only the need to verify the car’s actual weight once completed.
The FW48 has now successfully passed its crash tests and is scheduled to appear in Bahrain from February 11 to 13 for the official pre-season tests.
Shakedown at Silverstone and confidence in virtual preparation
On Wednesday, the FW48 completed its first shakedown at Silverstone, respecting the 200 km limit allowed by the regulations. The previous day, Williams had revealed the 2026 livery in an online event.
Vowles explained that missing Barcelona does not constitute a major setback, thanks to extensive simulator and virtual testing work. He said that the simulator sessions with drivers Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon, combined with the support of available Mercedes drivers, allowed the team to keep pace with competitors who were testing in Spain.
“What we achieved in one week of virtual testing was a success, and the work Carlos and Alex did in the simulator while others were in Barcelona allowed us to catch up. We were also fortunate to have the support of available Mercedes drivers,” James Vowles stated.
“We gathered a lot of information on the gearbox and power unit that will let us start Bahrain well-prepared. For this reason, I don’t think that, with six days of testing in total, we will be at a disadvantage.”
The FW48’s successful first run at Silverstone serves as a vital psychological and technical boost for a Williams team that has spent the winter defending its 2026 preparations. By leveraging advanced virtual track testing and the shared data from the Mercedes power unit ecosystem, James Vowles is gambling that precision at the factory can outweigh lost mileage in Spain. The true test of this strategy will be revealed in the heat of Sakhir, where Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon must translate simulator correlation into on-track performance. If the FW48 proves reliable and competitive from the first session, Williams will have successfully navigated a turbulent winter to maintain its upward trajectory toward the front of the midfield.
The Williams FW48 has officially completed its shakedown at Silverstone, with James Vowles expressing confidence that virtual testing has mitigated the impact of missing the first pre-season session in Barcelona.
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