Williams reveal striking blue 2022 livery for their FW44 challenger

Williams have unveiled a striking blue livery on a 2022 showcar.

The team founded by Sir Frank Williams and now owned by Dorilton Capitol enjoyed improved fortunes in 2021 to finish eighth in the constructors’ championship.

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Ahead of the 2022 campaign, which will feature new cars built to revolutionary new rules, Williams released images of a predominantly blue livery, with hints of red, on a stock showcar.

Their approach is similar to that of Red Bull, with teams keen to keep their secrets hidden for as long as possible.

“Over its history as an iconic Formula 1 team, Williams Racing has shown great strength and sophistication,” said Team Principal Jost Capito. “The new visual identity of the 2022 car perfectly encapsulates these characteristics that the staff, drivers and fans have demonstrated time and time again.

“As we move into the new era of our sport, the FW44 highlights the transition to the future, as well as acknowledging the timeless qualities that make us who we are. Last season we were thrilled and proud to make such strong advancements as a team, with a number of well-earned points-scoring results in addition to a podium.

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“Looking forward, we want to build on this success, and the FW44 perfectly embodies these ambitions to return to the front of the grid. I look forward to witnessing this progression with Nicholas and Alex at the helm.”

Latifi added: “I’m a fan of the new livery. Keeping the blue was important as it’s synonymous with Williams Racing, but it’s a pattern we’ve not seen before and the fluorescent red will pop on track which I really like.

“It’s a fresh new look to start off the new era of F1. I’m super excited for testing in Barcelona, to get back behind the wheel, push and see what the car can do. Pre-season always feels like quite a long time, but it’s been really busy and there’s been a nice build-up at the factory with lots of hard work from everyone.

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“The new regulations should allow for much better racing so I’m excited for the challenge and we will aim to gather some good data from testing, to take us into the first few races.”

Albon, who replaces George Russell after a year as reserve for Red Bull, said: "The FW44 livery is clean and simple. I like that we’ve gone for more blue with the dynamic diamond finish and a little bit of red; it looks really good and I’m looking forward to seeing it out on track.

“The upcoming Barcelona track session will be about making sure we’re efficient with our time to best ensure we have a competitive package heading into the season. We don’t have many days before our first race and so we quickly need to understand which areas of the car are strong and where we need to make improvements.

“I’m sure it will be a little bit of a learning curve as we all try to learn how to get the most out of the new regulations, but the objectives and the way that we focus on this car is very much the same as in previous years. Ultimately, we’re all still trying to get a racing car around a track as quickly as possible."