Formula 1 Williams launch

“Bold” FW47 launch shows Williams’ progress after 2024 hardship

One year on from struggles launching its 2024 car, Williams had a successful unveil and maiden test at Silverstone

Carlos Sainz has hailed Williams’ “bold” approach revealing – and more crucially testing – its 2025 Formula 1 car with media in attendance.

The legendary British team unveiled its new FW47 car on Thursday at Silverstone, with a live event immediately followed by a filming day for its drivers Sainz and Alexander Albon.

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This is in comparison to difficulties encountered 12 months ago with the initially overweight FW46, whose shakedown was delayed because of tricky weather but also due to car parts having been produced late.

“This is a good show of Williams' progress, to be bold enough to prepare a test where all of our partners are here, all the media is invited to see the first laps of the car,” Sainz rejoiced. “It shows the trust that Williams has in its new tools to produce a car that is going to be here on time, is going to be working well – like it did today, without any issues.

“It's a good showing to the outside world.”

In from Ferrari, new hire Sainz had the privilege of giving the new machinery its first laps on the shorter, 2.89km international layout based out of the grand prix pitlane.

Carlos Sainz, Williams FW47

Photo by: Williams

Initially equipped with wet tyres on a not-so-wet track, the Spaniard completed two laps before pitting and giving a short interview to Williams ambassador Jenson Button in the garage.

“Everything went fine, which is good news,” Sainz said. “An install lap of a newly born car is always a bit tricky. But everything worked as it should, and now we're ready to get into the run plan.

“First, I need to give the feedback – you’re not letting me give the feedback! – of the two or three things that I felt that could be improved, or feeling inside the cockpit, and everything that I want to obviously talk to them about. So now, once we finish this interview, I'll give the feedback, and then we'll get the car ready to run on slicks and probably start pushing it little by little.”

Eventually summing up the day as “positive”, Sainz had already been impressed with the squad when he drove the FW46 at the Abu Dhabi post-season test, just days after his last grand prix appearance for Ferrari.

“That was very positive, because at Williams, in Abu Dhabi, I found a car that was honestly a bit better than I thought, or better than I expected. Obviously, with some deficiencies, compared to the cars that I've been driving, but not massively far off.

“I can just tell you that the I found the team full of motivation, full of energy – not easy after a triple-header; [in the] Abu Dhabi test I normally see people just wanting to go home. The energy that I saw that day – and the run plan that we managed to follow to perfection [in order to] execute a good day – was important to me, and it was a very important test that I think is going to help going into Bahrain.”