Williams FW48 hits the track for first time at Silverstone

Williams’ 2026 car has hit the track for the first time, with the squad confirming that the FW48 ran during a shakedown at Silverstone.

Sporting a special ‘Flow State’ testing livery, the new challenger was taken for its maiden laps as part of a promotional filming day on Wednesday.

Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz both spent time at the wheel, with Albon suggesting that the car’s debut run was a “fairly smooth” day.

“That’s shakedown done!” said Albon. “Obviously a few bits of data to look at and areas to improve, but generally a fairly smooth day. We had decent weather for Silverstone at this time of year and glad to finally be in the car and driving the FW48.

“Our full focus is on Bahrain now, looking at the data and getting ready for the start of the season.”

Sainz commented: “We just had our first laps in the FW48! It’s always an exciting, special day for the drivers, the mechanics and the entire team and it’s been a great effort from everyone to get the car on track today.

“It was a typical winter day at Silverstone, so we focused on getting in our first few laps and completing our shakedown plan. We are ready to fly to Bahrain in a few days where we’ll dive into more complete run plans, so I’m looking forward to it!”

Williams were the only team to miss the Barcelona Shakedown in late January, but went on to confirm that they will participate in official pre-season testing in Bahrain, which begins with the first test from February 11-13 followed by a second test across February 18-20.

Reflecting on the shakedown, Team Principal James Vowles added: “This was a milestone day for us and it is always a very proud moment to see a new car on track for the first time.

“The team has absolutely pulled together under the pressure of the situation and delivered a car today for a planned promotional filming day here at Silverstone.

“We were able to understand more about our package in preparation for Bahrain next week, and Carlos and Alex were able to provide some positive feedback to direct us, while also identifying some minor issues for us to clean up between now and then.

“The push isn't over yet – this is just the beginning and there is more in front of us.”

It comes after the Grove-based outfit unveiled their livery for the 2026 season on Tuesday, featuring a mostly blue and black colour scheme.