Fans to vote on Williams' 2026 pre-season testing livery

Williams Racing will let its global fanbase decide the livery for its 2026 car's crucial pre-season testing debut, launching a vote between six distinct blue-themed designs for the FW48. The winning scheme will be driven by Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz during the first official running of the new-generation cars in Barcelona this January, marking a fan-driven start to F1's most significant regulatory era in decades.

Why it matters:

This move is more than a simple paint job vote; it's a strategic engagement play from a team on the rise. After securing its best constructors' championship finish since 2016 in 2025, Williams is leveraging its renewed momentum to deepen its connection with supporters. Giving fans a direct stake in the car's first visual identity of a new era symbolizes the team's stated mission of bringing its audience along on its journey back to competitiveness.

The details:

The voting process opens on December 9 and will run for one week on the team's official website. All six design options stay true to the team's iconic blue heritage, but offer distinct interpretations:

• Three of the designs feature a bold, disruptive 'dazzle' camouflage pattern, built around Williams' modernized 'Forward W' logo.
• The other three proposals present more traditional, solid-color interpretations of the team's classic blue palette. The chosen livery will adorn the FW48 as it tackles the new 2026 technical regulations, which mandate shorter, lighter cars designed to improve wheel-to-wheel racing.

The big picture:

This campaign is the latest in a series of fan-centric initiatives from the Grove-based squad. It follows the successful 'Driven By Words' project, which incorporated over 140,000 fan messages into the team's identity, and the globally selected 'Bolder than Bold' livery from 2023. Team Principal James Vowles framed the vote as a natural extension of the joy found in seeing growing crowds in Williams blue. Both Albon and Sainz have endorsed the campaign, with Albon specifically citing the "incredible passion" of the fans that helps drive the team forward.

What's next:

Williams will announce the winning design later in December. The FW48, wearing its fan-chosen colors, will then make its track debut at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in January. The team will then move to Bahrain for two further pre-season tests in February, before the competitive era of the 2026 regulations officially begins at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8.