Williams will celebrate Formula 1’s return to Madrid with a special FW48 livery inspired by the colours of the championship-winning FW07C, the car the team raced the last time the sport visited the Spanish capital in 1981. The one-off design will be used by Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon during the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix weekend, giving the Madrid-born Sainz an especially distinctive car for his first Formula 1 home race in the city.
The FW48 will feature a white, green and navy blue colour scheme paying tribute to the 1981 Williams driven by Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann at Madrid’s Circuito del Jarama. The design connects one of the most successful periods in Williams history with the team’s current efforts to return towards the front of the Formula 1 grid.
Williams FW48 livery pays tribute to 1981 championship-winning car
Williams says the special Madrid livery highlights how the team is using knowledge, methods and lessons accumulated throughout its history to inspire its current rebuilding project.
“From the engineers who developed the FW07C to the team-mates preparing the FW48, the same spirit of innovation, precision and teamwork continues to shape Williams,” the British team said.
The FW07C was one of the defining cars of Williams’ early championship success. Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann raced the model during the 1981 season, when Williams secured the Constructors’ Championship, and it was also the car used during Formula 1’s previous visit to Madrid.
Forty-five years later, the FW48 will carry a modern interpretation of those colours as Formula 1 begins a new chapter in the Spanish capital.
Carlos Sainz unveils special Williams livery in Madrid
The exclusive design was revealed on Tuesday evening during a Williams Fan Zone event attended by Carlos Sainz at Plaza de Callao in central Madrid.
The event took place ahead of the first Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit, a 22-corner venue combining public-road sections with purpose-built stretches. Madrid joins the 2026 Formula 1 calendar as one of the season’s major new events.
Williams team principal James Vowles explained that the tribute reflects the way the team is attempting to use its successful past as a foundation for future progress.
“Our mission to get back to the front of the grid is drawn from, inspired by and informed by everything we’ve done before,” James Vowles said.
“I am incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone through Atlassian’s special livery, connecting the team we were at Jarama with the team we are becoming today through focused collaboration, improved technological innovation and real creativity. The car looks fantastic and I cannot wait to see it racing around Madrid.”
Carlos Sainz prepares for first Formula 1 home race in Madrid
The weekend will carry particular significance for Carlos Sainz. The Williams driver is preparing to contest his 13th Spanish Grand Prix, but it will be his first Formula 1 race in Madrid, the city where he was born, raised and began his motorsport career.
The Spaniard recently strengthened his long-term commitment to the Grove team by agreeing a new multi-year Williams contract beyond 2027, underlining his role in the team’s longer-term rebuilding project.
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon will also be aiming to end a difficult points drought for Williams. The team has not scored since Alex Albon finished eighth at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Williams looks to end points drought at Madrid Grand Prix
The British team finished an impressive fifth in the Constructors’ Championship last season but has found the 2026 campaign considerably more difficult. Williams currently sits ninth in the Teams’ Championship with 11 points, five behind Audi.
The Madrid weekend therefore offers both symbolic and competitive significance. Williams will celebrate the FW07C and its title-winning heritage while trying to use the FW48 to begin reversing its recent run of results.
For Carlos Sainz, the combination of a home race, a brand-new Madrid circuit and a livery inspired by one of Williams’ most important cars gives the weekend an added personal dimension. For the team, the design serves as a visual reminder of the history it hopes can help inspire its return towards the front of Formula 1.
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