2024 Williams F1 car reveal: Albon expects 'big difference' from FW46

F1

Williams has revealed the look of its 2024 F1 car at a New York launch. The FW46 is expected to feature some design changes, with Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant preparing to adapt their driving styles

Williams has revealed the livery for its 2024 F1 car — the FW46 — which features a familiar combination of new-era blue with traditional Williams navy which adorned many of its winning cars from the 1990s.

It also showcases larger logos for leading sponsors MyProtein, Komatsu and Gulf Oil as well as a Duracell-themed airbox.

“To me, this car signifies where we have been and where we’re going,” said team principal James Vowles. “It’s got a nod back to Frank and back to our history, along with some top class sponsors that have become part of our journey.

The updated colour scheme was shown on a version of last year’s car, but Vowles and his drivers spoke about the forthcoming FW46. Alex Albon said that the philosophy of the car has been changed slightly, which will require a both drivers to adjust their driving style.

The new car is a key step in the team’s bid to return to the front of the F1 grid, although Vowles continued to support his view that rebuilding the team remains a long-term target and that last year’s seventh-place finish in the constructors’ standings means little to him.

“We’ve done a good job, not a great job. We’re not going to achieve excellence in one year, but we will get there because the perseverance, the belief, the passion is at the highest level I’ve ever seen.”

Williams

Can Williams’ FW45 — inspired by history — return to the front in due course?

Williams

Albon will once again be looking to lead the team after having arguably his best F1 season yet in 2023. The Thai-Anglo driver finished an impressive 13th in the drivers’ standings and scored 96.8% of the Grove outfits points — leading to the team’s best finish in the constructors’ standings since 2017.

“I think this car is going to be such a big difference in driving style and general performance,” said Albon. “It was tricky last year as we were so focused on the championship so we couldn’t [concentrate] too much on 2024. We won’t really know [what performance is like] until we hit the ground in Bahrain but generally it’s been a good car to drive.”

Logan Sargeant will line up alongside him having signed a one-year extension with Williams after a tough rookie campaign.

“This car is going to be very different to last year so to now have a reference for everywhere I’m going to go is such a huge advantage,” he said. “The driving style will need to change but we’re already doing that on the simulator and it feels like a nicer car to drive.

2023: The first step toward resurgence? 

Red Bull Williams 2023

With continued development, could Williams become front-runners again?

Grand Prix Photo

Despite its highly successful heritage, Williams has become an almost permanent feature at the back of the F1 grid. But last season showed the first signs of a possible resurgence.

The addition of James Vowles as the surprise successor to Jost Capito as Williams’ team principal in 2023 proved fruitful for the Grove marque, as it achieved its best result in the constructors’ standings since 2017.

The point scoring began as early as Bahrain where Albon finished an impressive tenth after qualifying 15th. After a spell of underperformance in a highly competitive midfield, Williams bounced back in Canada, led again by the Thai-Anglo driver who finished a brilliant seventh. Two races later, Albon finished in the points again on home turf at Silverstone and his continued point-scoring success at Zandvoort, Monza, COTA and Mexico City were key markers in a season to remember.

Conversely, rookie driver Logan Sargeant struggled in his debut F1 season — failing to score any points at all until the United States Grand Prix in October. Nevertheless, he was given unyielding support from his team principal, who sympathised with the Amercian’s lack of opportunity to prepare for racing in motorsport’s top echelon. Instead of heavily critiquing Sargeant’s performance as he DNF’d from five of the final 12 rounds, Vowles instead encouraged his development and claimed to have seen enough to warrant a contract extension for 2024.

 

2024: Hoping for more

Speaking at the team’s pre-season launch, team prinicpal James Vowles reaffirmed his belief that Williams could take a step back in the constructors’ standings if it resulted in better long-term success. They may not be the words Williams fans want to hear but Albon and Sargeant nevertheless seem optimistic about the new season.

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“There’s some things personally I want to develop this year,” said Albon. “I think every driver does. For the team I want to wait and see. I feel like every team is going to make a big step but I feel we’ve definitely done a good job — I don’t want to talk a big game too early!”

Should Albon be right, Williams could be the team to watch in the fight for supremacy in the tightly contested F1 midfield. But, should Vowles’ plan to “break systems that need to broken” affect short-term pace, both drivers may be contained to a back-marker role for the meantime — at least until Pat Fry and co can come up with a game changing design which can return Williams to the front of the field.

 

Williams 2024 driver line-up

Alex Albon portrait Logan-Sargeant-portrait
Alex Albon Logan Sargeant
  • Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant have contracts set to end in 2024
  • Albon’s future looks to be on more solid ground, with rumoured links to bigger seats at Ferrari and Red Bull
  • Sargeant’s F1 future still in doubt after shaky rookie season

 

Key personnel

Team principal: James Vowles 

James Vowles Team Principal of Williams F1 team 2023

James Vowles led a resurgent effort by Williams in 2023

Qian Jun/MB Media vs Getty Images

Ahead of a move to Williams in 2023, much of James’ Vowles F1 career had been spent at Brackley — first with Honda, then with Brawn and then with Mercedes.

He joined the former in 2006 as an engineer, before being promoted to a race strategist position with Brawn and Jenson Button in 2009. Championship success put Vowles name in the spotlight for the first time and continued success with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton after Mercedes takeover in 2010 ensured his position in the team for years to come.

But ahead of the 2023 campaign, Vowels yearned for more responsibility and with Toto Wolff remaining in firm control as the team principal at Mercedes, the empty position at Williams proved too good an opportunity to miss.

“It’s an honour to join a team with such an incredibly rich heritage,” said Vowles upon joining the team. “The team is an icon of our sport, one I greatly respect, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge.”
22 races later, Vowles has continued to build upon his reputation as a lead cog in a machine of success.

Chief Technical Officer: Pat Fry

Pat Fry

Williams’ Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry joined from Alpine in 2023

Grand Prix Photo

With over 20 years of top tier F1 experience, Pat Fry was a major mid-season addition to Williams after joining from Alpine after the Belgian Grand Prix.

His career began with Benetton in 1987, where he worked on active suspension while serving as a race engineer. Six years later he joined McLaren, where he continued to share his expertise on active suspension until it was banned for 1994 and he was once again moved back into a race engineer role before becoming chief engineer for the 2005, 2007 and 2009 seasons.

In 2010 he moved to Ferrari where he undertook several roles: first acting as a assistant technical director, then as the head of trackside engineering and then director of chassis.

A brief return to McLaren and a consultancy role at Manor preceded a full-time return to the sport with Alpine in 2019.

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