Williams: There is a mystery over the suspension, but the FW48 promises distinctive solutions
To launch its 2026 livery, Williams Racing has released a render of the FW48 featuring a highly simplified suspension layout, notably missing several core elements—a choice that is fueling mystery surrounding the project. However, the official technical specification sheet points toward a pull-rod front setup, and James Vowles has teased distinctive solutions without reaching the extremes seen on the Aston Martin.
A small mystery surrounds the digital renders released today by Williams to showcase the livery they will campaign in 2026. As these are computer-generated images, it is rare for team-released visuals to reflect the definitive shapes of the actual car, even though the renders published by Racing Bulls and Haas this year were remarkably similar to the machines that took to the track in Barcelona. Nevertheless, the offering from the Grove-based team is… peculiar.
In the images distributed by Williams, a portion of the suspension system is visibly absent at both the front and the rear. There is no visible push-rod, nor a pull-rod. Even the positioning of the wishbones, particularly the upper triangle, offers very few clues regarding the final choices made by the Grove engineers.
This is nothing unusual; F1 teams frequently hide technical details before hitting the track for official testing. However, in this instance, some curious elements emerge that offer clues, specifically regarding the front suspension philosophy.
Pull-rod at the front, push-rod at the rear
In the FW48’s technical specification sheet, it is explicitly indicated that Williams has opted for a pull-rod scheme at the front, joining Alpine and Cadillac in a trend that goes against the majority of the 2026 grid. Meanwhile, at the rear, the solution will be a push-rod setup.
The layout with the strut at the rear is not surprising. Not only have almost all teams moved in that direction for aerodynamic reasons—to better optimize airflow to the diffuser, which remains quite generous in size under the new regulations—but Williams also purchases its entire rear end, including the gearbox and suspension internals, directly from Mercedes.
The most interesting choice concerns the front end, the only area where the Grove team operates with total autonomy. It is precisely here that the clues come not from the render—deliberately devoid of useful references—but from the technical sheet and the words of James Vowles during the livery presentation.
Vowles on Newey and the Williams identity
Speaking with selected media, including Motorsport.com, the Williams Team Principal hinted that the FW48 will feature curious solutions with its own distinctive identity, though without going to the design extremes seen at other teams—specifically, the Adrian Newey-led Aston Martin.
“It’s really impressive. Adrian [Newey] is simply a creative designer, and what he has done is impressive, with wishbones positioned in places where I don’t think they should be… but he put them there,” James Vowles commented when asked about the technical choices followed by Adrian Newey on the Aston.
On the AMR26, the forward arm of the upper wishbone is anchored at the highest point of the chassis, while the rear element is not only heavily inclined for aero reasons but is also fixed in an extremely rearward position.
Clearly, on the Aston Martin, the technical group led by Newey chose a push-rod scheme, a solution that works closely with the concept used on the front wing. But speaking about the distinctive characteristics that will be seen on the FW48 in Bahrain, James Vowles focused not so much on the scheme itself, but on the positioning of the upper wishbone arms.
“In terms of Adrian, I alluded to it, but you’ll see it in our top wishbone: it’s slightly different. But where Adrian went… Adrian is truly impressive, very creative, very extreme. I wouldn’t want to be a designer having to work on that car, let’s put it that way!”
Impressions from the Barcelona shakedown
Aston Martin was not the only car to catch James Vowles’ eye. Despite not participating in the Barcelona shakedown, Williams closely observed the events in Spain, identifying Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari as the teams that impressed their rivals.
“I was really impressed by Red Bull, especially on the PU side. To build an engine from scratch and show up with such reliability is remarkable. Kudos to them. Secondly, Ferrari’s consistency. Pure pace is yet to be discovered, but the consistency is truly impressive, once again right from the start,” James Vowles added.
“And then Mercedes, always. I worked there for a long time: they are very good at interpreting regulatory changes and showing up with a solid and reliable package. If you do a race simulation after just one day of testing, it’s really very impressive.”
The technical mystery surrounding the Williams FW48 render suggests that the Grove-based team is keeping its most innovative aerodynamic cards close to its chest ahead of the 2026 season opener. By confirming a pull-rod front suspension in their documentation while visually omitting it from their promotional materials, Williams is clearly targeting a unique mechanical platform that deviates from the majority of the grid. Ultimately, as James Vowles points out, while they may not have reached the extreme “creative” geometry of Newey’s Aston Martin, the FW48’s distinctive wishbone positioning will be a key area to watch during the Bahrain tests to see if Williams has found a clever way to outmaneuver their midfield rivals.
Williams is heading into the 2026 era with a “distinctive” technical identity, choosing a pull-rod front suspension and unique wishbone geometry as they look to capitalize on the major regulatory reset.
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