First Look: 2026 Williams F1 automotive lastly breaks cowl in shakedown run

Williams’ 2026 System 1 automotive has damaged cowl for the primary time for a shakedown at Silverstone, having missed the primary pre-season check in Barcelona.

The Grove-based outfit loved its strongest season in a decade final yr, because it stormed to fifth within the constructors’ standings.

The crew additionally scored a brace of late-season podiums courtesy of Carlos Sainz on its solution to its finest championship place since 2016.

As such, the Williams crew got here into the brand new automotive rule cycle with a whole lot of expectation on its shoulders to maintain that momentum up.

Nevertheless, the FW48 has endured a troubled winter to this point, after Williams missed the pre-season Barcelona shakedown check late final month.

It was the one crew to not perform any working.

The rationale given was manufacturing delays within the new automotive, although there was hypothesis that the FW48 had failed its crash checks and was now considerably over the minimal weight restrict in a bid to cross the FIA mandate.

Staff boss James Vowles denied that there was a major weight challenge, nonetheless, however did acknowledge earlier this that Williams wouldn’t know for certain the place it’s when it comes to automotive weight till it was in a position to observe check it correctly.

Williams has handed the crash checks and might be on observe subsequent week in Bahrain for the primary official outing on 11-13 February.

Forward of this, the crew accomplished a shakedown check at Silverstone on Wednesday with the FW48.

There aren’t any particulars on the run plan, although groups are solely permitted to 200km of working throughout shakedowns. 

On Tuesday, Williams unveiled the livery for its 2026 challenger in an internet launch.

Vowles famous throughout a media name forward of the livery launch that Williams wouldn’t be heading into  Bahrain on the again foot because of its simulator work and Digital Observe Testing.

“What we did when it comes to per week of VTT [Virtual Track Testing] that was profitable, and what we’ve been doing with each Carlos [Sainz] and Alex [Albon] on the simulator in tandem to whereas everybody else was in Barcelona, as well as, and we’re lucky that Mercedes had ample runners,” he stated.

“So, there was fairly a bit of knowledge coming again on the gearbox and energy unit that allows us to get forward once we come to Bahrain.

“Which means, I don’t imagine that with six days of testing we’ll be on the again foot.”