F1: Williams names its 2027 car FW50 for its 50th anniversary

Williams has revealed the name of its 2027 Formula 1 car: it will be the FW50. The British team therefore skips FW49, which would have followed this season's FW48, to celebrate 50 years in F1. It made the same choice when it went from the FW38 to the FW40 for its 40th anniversary. In 2027, Williams will become only the third team in history to reach 50 consecutive seasons in the world championship.

W50 Live: a London exhibition in February

The centrepiece of the celebrations will be W50 Live, a ticketed exhibition open to the public from 11 to 28 February at 26 Leake Street in London's Waterloo district. It will cover five decades of history with championship-winning cars and team memorabilia. W Club members get pre-sale access on 26 October, with general sale on 29 October.

Cars announced for the display:

• the FW06, the first car built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering;
• the FW11B, Nelson Piquet's title car of 1987;
• the FW14B, Nigel Mansell's title car of 1992;
• the FW19, which won the title with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997;
• the FW25, in which Juan Pablo Montoya set an average-speed record that stood for 17 years;
• the FW38, holder of the F1 top-speed record of 378 km/h, set by Valtteri Bottas.

An FW50 show car in the 2027 colours will also be shown.

A year of celebrations for fans

Williams promises a year of events. Later in the season, fans will be able to vote on a special livery for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Limited-edition items are also planned, including a W50 Monopoly set before Christmas and a book on 50 years of F1. The team says more highlights will be revealed over the coming months.

A record and a line-up for 2027

Williams has won 9 constructors' world titles, 7 drivers' titles and 114 Grand Prix victories. For 2027, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz stay together for a third consecutive season. Albon holds the record for the most starts for the team, having passed Mansell's mark in Barcelona this year. Sainz is one of three drivers, with Mansell and Alain Prost, to have raced for Ferrari, McLaren and Williams, the only three teams to reach a 50th anniversary on the grid.

Team principal James Vowles noted that more than 100 F1 teams have come and gone since Frank Williams built his from almost nothing, and that independence, passion and the drive to win remain Williams's identity.

The editorial team