Williams F1 has confirmed that their FW47 challenger will be shown to the world on the 14th of February, also known as Valentine’s Day.
The Grove-based team had a difficult 2024 season as a lack of spare parts at the start of the season, an overweight car, and a series of crashes from Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto left them constantly fighting an uphill battle.
A lack of car pace on top of that left them P9 in the Constructors’ Championship at the end of the year, only finishing ahead of the struggling Sauber outfit.
Nonetheless, they head into the new season with optimism as they pulled off a major coup by signing Carlos Sainz on a multi-year deal. The 4-time race winner will be a tremendous benchmark to show where the Williams F1 FW47 package is at this year, although the team’s established driver Alex Albon will be looking to match him.
2025 marks James Vowles’ third season in charge at Williams. 2023 was impressive as they finished P7 in the Constructors’ Championship. However, last year was a step back.
Throughout his tenure, the British engineer has consistently looked at things for the long-term. The team’s facilities were years out of date. Getting them up to modern standards has been a key priority.
The goal for Williams is to start making strides next year as the new regulations come in. As McLaren showed last season, it is possible to win a championship as a customer team.
James Vowles, Williams F1 Team Principal:
“There is a tremendous amount to look forward to for Williams in 2025 – we have fantastic race drivers in Alex and Carlos, top engineers joining from across the grid and new facilities becoming operational at our Grove HQ. As part of our comeback plan, we have been working on our 2025 car for some time and I can’t wait to see it at Silverstone on February 14. Everyone in the team is giving everything to get this team back where it belongs as we head towards the major rule changes for 2026. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
Alex Albon, Williams F1 driver:
“Everyone at the factory is working hard to get our car ready for the new season. Launching on February 14 should be a great way to start an important year for us as a team, fighting as hard as we can with both cars from the outset this year and looking forward to opportunities ahead in 2026. I can’t wait to see the results of the teamwork and dedication that makes this team so special.”
Carlos Sainz, Williams F1 driver:
“It’s an important time for the team and we are all going to push to bring Williams back to the front of the grid as soon as possible. I was very impressed with the team back in Abu Dhabi. After a long year, it was great to watch the motivation and effort that everyone put in at such an important test. Thanks to that, we’ve been able to put together a solid plan and we have already started working on it to make sure we are as prepared as possible ahead of the pre-season test and first race. We’re not far away from the Silverstone car launch and I can’t wait to see my new ride! 2025 will be an exciting year and we are fully committed to putting together a strong season. VAMOS!”
