Williams’ 2026 Formula 1 vehicle completed its initial on-track run with a shakedown event at Silverstone, following the British team’s decision to forgo the Barcelona shakedown the previous week.
Last week, Formula 1 held its inaugural collective testing for the 2026 season, featuring five days of closed-door sessions at the Catalan venue, in preparation for a championship year marked by significant regulatory revisions.
With modifications planned for both the chassis and engine, the series added an additional test to aid team readiness; however, Williams later declared its decision not to participate in the Barcelona shakedown.
Team principal James Vowles attributed this absence to “setbacks in the FW48 project,” stating that “the operational demands on our infrastructure are roughly triple their previous levels.”
Consequently, Williams performed a Virtual Track Test (VTT) the prior week, an exercise akin to a simulator but involving the majority of the actual vehicle placed on a rig to emulate an authentic track session.
During the 2026 livery unveiling on Tuesday, Vowles subsequently stated the VTT was “successful,” remarking that “we achieved the desired mileage,” with the subsequent action being Wednesday’s shakedown at the venue of the British Grand Prix.
Williams FW48
Photo by: Williams
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were both confirmed to have participated, although the vehicle was not adorned in the official 2026 livery, which presents a dark blue and black scheme accented with lighter blue and white elements on the sidepods – as illustrated above.
Conversely, it utilized a unique FW48 testing paint job prior to its subsequent track outing in Bahrain on February 10th for another promotional filming event.
Vowles stated, “This represented a landmark day for our organization, and observing a new vehicle on the track for the inaugural time consistently brings immense pride.” He continued, “The squad demonstrated incredible cohesion despite the prevailing pressures, successfully presenting a car today for an intended promotional filming session here at Silverstone.
He added, “We gained further insights into our vehicle configuration in readiness for Bahrain next week, and Carlos and Alex furnished valuable affirmative input to guide our efforts, concurrently pinpointing minor concerns for us to rectify before then. The endeavor is far from complete – this marks merely the commencement, with further challenges awaiting us.”
Following Williams’ promotional shoot in Bahrain, the initial three-day official pre-season testing will commence (February 11-13), preceding a second test at the same track from February 18-20, all leading up to the 2026 Melbourne season launch between March 6-8.
Albon commented, “The shakedown is now complete.” He added, “Naturally, there’s some data to analyze and aspects to refine, but overall, it was quite an uneventful day.
Williams FW48
Photo by: Williams
He continued, “The weather conditions at Silverstone were favorable for this period of the year, and I’m pleased to have at last driven the FW48. Our complete attention is now directed towards Bahrain, where we will examine the information and prepare for the season’s commencement.”
Sainz further stated: “We’ve just completed our initial laps in the FW48. This is consistently an exhilarating, significant day for the pilots, the technical crew, and the entire squad, and getting the vehicle onto the circuit today was a commendable collective undertaking.
He remarked, “The conditions were characteristic of a winter day at Silverstone, prompting us to concentrate on performing our initial laps and finalizing our shakedown agenda. We are set to depart for Bahrain shortly, where we will engage in more comprehensive running strategies, an prospect I eagerly anticipate!”
Williams approaches the upcoming season having secured fifth place in the 2025 championship, marking its strongest performance since 2017, highlighted by two podium finishes for Sainz in Baku and Qatar.
