Williams has confirmed its new livery for the FW48 will be revealed on February 3rd, in the days following the first shakedown test in Barcelona.

Williams will be running a fan-voted camouflage livery for the first five-day outing in Barcelona, but the team’s real 2026 colours will be unveiled at its factory in Grove.

Williams to unveil ‘striking look’ on FW48 on February 3

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Soon after the news of Mercedes’ car unveiling, which will be done via renderings on January 22nd before an official season launch, Williams announced its own plans for launching the livery of its new car.

The team said in a press release that it is due to be a ‘striking look’, with Williams having already confirmed it would be using updated branding in the 2026 season.

This includes a change in logo, reverting to the ‘Forward W’ design that carried the team through its early years in Formula 1.

Williams enjoyed its best season in almost a decade in 2025, securing fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship along with two podiums from Carlos Sainz along the way.

More on the huge upcoming changes in the F1 2026 season

F1 2026 driver line-up: Which drivers are already confirmed for 2026?

F1 2026: Confirmed teams and power unit suppliers for huge regulation changes

Team principal James Vowles has praised how his two drivers have gelled together, saying they form a “world class” line-up in the Williams garage.

While he acknowledged the year just gone exceeded his hopes, work has been taking place behind the scenes at Williams to set themselves up for the year as a whole.

“I definitely think, if you asked me 12 months ago, what’s your best expectation, I wouldn’t have fifth on my bingo card or three podiums, including a sprint race,” Vowles told PlanetF1.com and other media in Abu Dhabi.

“We’ve achieved more, and especially when you think that 2026 really has been our focus. This car [FW47] in this calendar year has only been a few weeks in the wind tunnel. That’s it.

“It’s more been through improving simulation tools, communication, ways of working, setup, balance characteristics. That’s how we found improvement. Which are all items that, for the most part, carry over into our future as well.”

With 10 of the teams having now confirmed their car launch plans, McLaren is the only constructor remaining to announce when it will pull the covers off its title-defending challenger.

Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: Mercedes chief warns no ‘return to business’ ahead of 2026 regulation changes