(Motorsport-Total.com) – Williams is competing at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid (follow all sessions here in the Formula 1 live ticker!) with a special design. The design of the FW48 is based on the Williams FW07C from the 1981 Formula 1 season and adopts its distinctive colors white, green, and dark blue. (See the photo gallery!)
Read more Mercedes victory in Monza: Why the success is doubly valuable without updates
The historical reference is no coincidence: 1981 was the last time Formula 1 visited Madrid. Back then, the Spanish Grand Prix was held at the Circuito del Jarama. Williams ran the FW07C there for Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann.
The team missed out on points in Madrid but achieved the fastest race lap with Jones. And: Williams won the Constructors’ World Championship with the car in 1981. (Access all Williams statistics here in the Formula 1 database!)
This is how Williams explains the Madrid special design
With the special livery, Williams now bridges the gap between then and now. At the first Formula 1 race on the new Madring, the team also competes with a Spanish driver, Carlos Sainz.
The Formula 1 special designs in the 2026 season
The special design was created together with Williams title sponsor Atlassian. According to the team, the livery is intended not only to recall their own past but also to symbolize the transfer of knowledge between different generations of Williams employees.
Read more This is the weather for the Formula 1 premiere at the new Madring
Team principal James Vowles explains: “Our mission to return to the front of the field is derived from everything we have achieved in the past. From that, we draw our inspiration and our insights. I am incredibly proud to honor this with this special design.”
The color scheme of the FW48 connects “the team we were in Jarama with the team we are developing into today,” says Vowles.
The specially wrapped FW48 was presented together with Sainz at a Williams event at Plaza del Callao in Madrid.
Read more Love at second sight? Sabine Kehm talks about «Schumi» at Ferrari