The underside of the Williams livery

The 2023 single-seaters have returned to school in their new liveries. Beyond visual identity and aesthetics, the appearance in Formula 1 also complies with a multitude of constraints and a complex process, which Williams details for its FW45.

« When we develop these liveries we start on the newest car, begins Ed Scott, the artistic director of the Grove stable. In our case it was the 44 FW2022, and our 2023 livery has evolved to suit the shape of the car. » A first draft which began last summer, before being refined in December. “ In the middle of the process, when you have formalized your design, you receive the specifications and drawings of the upcoming car, our FW45He says. The shape of the body, the aero elements, the chassis, everything can be quite different, which affects the livery. » After the revolution introduced in 2022 in the construction of single-seaters, this season is more in continuity. But each team had to adapt their car to extract performance and, in Williams' case, the aim was to move out of last place in the standings and fight for points more regularly. The carbon shell of the FW45 therefore has differences compared to its predecessor.

« Unfortunately, drawing a pretty car is not enough », Summarizes Scott. Several elements come into play, such as production, performance… and commercial constraints. “ We can take parts of the livery, adapt them, modify them, change the lines to create a contrasting negative effect to make room for a partner, explains the head designer. The partners' positions on the car are decided by the sales team and their objectives, we don't have the luxury of being able to just put a logo wherever we want. Every part of the car has value from a sponsor or partnership perspective, so having a livery that can adapt is essential. »

The integration of Duracell into Williams

One of the striking elements of the FW45 livery is its partnership with Duracell, and the way in which it has been highlighted. “ When we were talking to Duracell in 2022, it was clear that we wanted to try and integrate their batteries into our livery. There were several variations of how we could have done this, one was to simply print and stick a battery to the side of the car, but it wouldn't have had much impact. »

So, through creativity and reflection, the British garage teams ended up finding the right solution. “ We wanted to pretend the battery was integrated, connected to the car as if it were powering it, which is why we chose the chimney. This area is naturally curved, which accommodates a stack. There were other parts of the car like the side areas, but these are places that can change depending on the development of the car in the season. »

Weight constraints

Another major constraint encountered by Williams and all the teams on the grid: weight. “ We have used a different supplier this year, and we have adapted to other production methods which means that the livery will be lighter than previous seasons », explains Ed Scott. A more suitable paint therefore, and more visible carbon area to save a few grams.

The FW45 also switched to matte paint. Here again, Scott explains the reasons for this choice: “ We should benefit from a performance gain by switching to matte paint, both on and off the track in terms of production. Creatively, I prefer shiny cars. When you see it in the flesh, it always looks better but with a matte finish, the colors stand out more, it looks better on camera. And the car will be more visible on TV and on a screen than in real life. »

And this year, Williams seems to have combined business with pleasure, the FW45 showing a much more encouraging performance than in previous years. For the inaugural Grand Prix of the season, Alexander albon grabs the point for 10th place. His teammate and rookie Logan sargeant finished only two lengths behind him, achieving the same time as Lando Norris in qualifying. If the car in the Grove garage is still sensitive to the wind and difficult to operate, perhaps it could fight more regularly in the points this year.

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