Williams have officially unveiled the livery of their FW45 challenger to be used during the upcoming 2023 Formula 1 season.
In addition, the historic team has also announced its new sponsorship deal with Gulf Oil, marking the company's return to the sport as a sponsor. It previously had an iconic partnership with McLaren in the late-1960s and early '70s, and also worked with the Brabham team in 1969.
Gulf is an important addition for Williams, who have lost several top sponsors since the end of last season including those brought to the team by former driver Nicholas Latifi. It is the first time the company's logo has been seen on an F1 car since the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, when McLaren raced in a one-off livery as a nod to their past partnership with the oil firm.
Williams are the third team to show off their 2023 car livery. Haas were the first last Monday – revealing an eye-catching black, white and red VF-23 – before defending champions Red Bull followed last Friday by finally unveiling their RB19 at an event in New York City, where they also confirmed their new partnership with the Ford Motor Company.
As was the case with those two reveal events, the new Williams car on show is not the actual design and shape of the vehicle that will take to the track in competition this year. Teams are now in the habit of keeping their cards close to their chest when it comes to innovations that are noticeable to the eye.
When their proper design does take to the track in a few weeks' time, Williams will hope it is much more competitive than their last attempt. They finished rock bottom of the constructors' championship in 2022 and now have a new driver line-up – Alex Albon is now joined by rookie Logan Sargeant – while new team principal James Vowles joins later this month.
Albon, racing for Williams for a second year, said: "I'm really excited to be starting back for another year with the team. The car looks great and will hit the track at Silverstone.
"The team has worked really hard last year and over the winter to address some key areas in our car, putting in the work to try and maximise what we get out of the car for 2023, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the FW45 can do. We also welcome new partners to the team this year, so it's great to have them onboard."
Sargeant added: "I'm really excited for the season to get started after what, for me, feels like a long winter! I'm super motivated and we've put a lot of hard work in. The car is looking amazing and it shows the huge effort the team has put in the off season, so I'm looking forward to getting started at Silverstone before heading out to Bahrain."
