Special name for Formula 1 car: Williams breaks with tradition

A very special year lies ahead for the Williams team following the current season: in 2027, the long-established racing team from Grove will celebrate its 50th anniversary. That is why the team management have agreed to break with tradition when naming the 2027 Grand Prix car and to call it the FW50.

Strictly speaking, following this year’s designation ‘FW48’, the name ‘FW49’ would have been next in line (the letters FW standing for team co-founder and long-serving team principal Frank Williams, who passed away in November 2021).

This is not the first time Williams has ‘skipped’ a designation. Back in 2017, the designation FW40 was chosen instead of FW39 to celebrate the team’s 40th anniversary. At the time, Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll drove the FW40.

Formula 1 teams choose the names for their cars entirely at their own discretion, and other teams have also opted for designations that do not follow the usual pattern on special occasions. For example, the 2023 McLaren car was named MCL60 because the British team from Woking was celebrating its 60th anniversary.

The Williams team is the third team, after Ferrari and McLaren, to celebrate 50 consecutive World Championship appearances in the premier class of motor racing. Fans can look forward to a host of different events during this anniversary year to celebrate the history of the team, which was founded in London 50 years ago.

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For example, there is the interactive ‘W50 Live’ exhibition in Waterloo, London, where many historic Grand Prix cars will also be on display from 11 to 28 February 2027. They will also be able to choose the livery for the race weekend at Silverstone next year. The Williams team has achieved several milestones at this historic British circuit; for instance, they celebrated their first Grand Prix victory there in 1979 with Clay Regazzoni, and Jacques Villeneuve also secured the team’s 100th Grand Prix triumph at Silverstone.

“It’s incredible when you consider that since Frank Williams built this team virtually from scratch – with the determination to take on the giants of motorsport and win – over 100 Formula 1 teams have come and gone,” explains team principal James Vowles. “This independence, passion and relentless will to win remain part of our DNA as we begin our 50th year. Through our celebrations, we will introduce a new generation of fans to the heroes and stories that have shaped the Williams legacy – and which will help us reach new heights.”