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Williams will mark Formula 1’s return to Madrid with a one-off livery inspired by the colours of its 1981 championship-winning FW07C. The design links the team’s present-day campaign with the last occasion Formula 1 raced in the Spanish capital, at Madrid’s Circuito de Jarama.
The cars of home favourite Carlos Sainz and team mate Alex Albon will carry a white, green and navy blue colour scheme, echoing the FW07C raced by Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann in 1981. It is a deliberate visual connection between Williams’ history and its stated ambition to return to the front of the grid.
Williams says the design reflects how the team is using the knowledge, methods and lessons of its past to shape its future. The team described the link in clear terms: “From the engineers who developed the FW07C to the team mates preparing the FW48, the same spirit of innovation, precision and teamwork continues to shape Williams.”
The livery was unveiled during a Fan Zone appearance with Sainz at Madrid’s Plaza de Callao on Tuesday evening. It comes ahead of the first Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring, a part-street, part-purpose-built 22-turn circuit. The latest Madring track map reveals its two Straight Mode zones, adding further focus to the venue’s first Formula 1 weekend.
Team Principal James Vowles said the special design represents more than a historic colour palette, presenting it as a statement of continuity within Williams’ recovery effort.
“Our mission to get back to the front of the grid is drawn from, inspired by and informed by everything we’ve done before,” Vowles said. “I am incredibly proud to celebrate that through Atlassian’s special livery, connecting the team we were at Jarama with the team we are becoming today through focused collaboration, improved technological innovation, and real creativity.”
He added: “The car looks fantastic, and I cannot wait to see it lapping around Madrid.”
For Sainz, the event carries an added personal significance. Madrid is the city where he was born, raised and began his motor racing career, while the race will be his 13th Spanish Grand Prix but his first in the capital.
The sporting challenge is less nostalgic. Sainz and Albon are searching for Williams’ first points since Albon finished eighth in Monaco, eight Grand Prix weekends ago. Williams, which finished fifth in the Teams’ Championship last year, currently sits ninth on 11 points, five behind Audi.
The Madrid debut therefore offers Williams both a showcase for its heritage and an immediate opportunity to change its current competitive trajectory.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.