FW47 Hits Full Throttle in Silverstone Debut

Williams F1’s FW47 completed a flawless 200KM shakedown at Silverstone, with Albon and Sainz pushing the new car to full throttle.

The FW47, Atlassian Williams Racing’s 2025 F1 car, made its track debut yesterday, successfully covering 200 km at Silverstone, according to the British team.

Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz shared driving duties, experiencing this year’s car for the first time.

The day began with a special live broadcast, where the team unveiled the FW47 and celebrated its new title partnership with Atlassian. Williams welcomed partners, media, and 47 fans from around the world, selected from over 17,000 applicants.

Atlassian appeared on the car for the first time in a unique design, with the official race livery set to be revealed on Tuesday during the live “F1 75” show at the O2 Arena in London.

Carlos Sainz took to the track at 11:05 AM, with his first lap in the FW47 broadcast live worldwide. Despite the typical cold and windy February conditions at Silverstone, Carlos completed all planned laps without issue before Alex took over for the afternoon session, benefiting from a brief spell of sunshine.

“The FW47’s first lap is the result of tens of thousands of hours of work and a moment of immense pride, symbolizing the progress we are making at Atlassian Williams Racing. We presented the car precisely as planned, live on air, with a fantastic new driver lineup and a great new title partner in Atlassian. There is much to look forward to in 2025, and I can’t wait to get the racing season underway next month,” said team principal James Vowles.

Chief engineer Dave Robson reviewed the first day’s performance.

“We launched the FW47 at Silverstone and had the opportunity to test the new car and ensure that the systems performed as expected.”

“Carlos and Alex shared the car throughout the day and completed the permitted 200 km without issue. The car ran well, and after a few cautious laps to verify everything was functioning correctly, we were able to push it to full throttle and confirm there were no major problems. Inevitably, we encountered a few very minor issues, but they will be quickly resolved before we arrive in Bahrain, and they did not impact yesterday’s session.”

“In the cold conditions and with Pirelli demonstration tires, it’s impossible to assess the FW47’s performance. However, telemetry and driver feedback suggest that the car’s core characteristics are very close to expectations, with no immediate handling concerns.”

“We now have a few days to use yesterday’s experience to finalize our testing plan for Bahrain. Now that we are confident the car will run well, we are in an excellent position to maximize our time in Bahrain and ensure we arrive in Melbourne ready to start the 2025 season strong.”

“My first 100 kilometers with the FW47 are done, and the day went well for me,” said Carlos Sainz.

“We successfully completed the full run plan without any issues, and I got my first impressions of the car. Williams was bold in showcasing the first laps of this new car to our partners, the media, and our fans, and it all went very smoothly. Well done to everyone at Grove—we are now ready for the start of the season.”

“I’m really happy,” concluded Alex Albon.

“Normally, in these conditions, the car behaves well, and that was the case. We won’t know for sure what the car is really like until Bahrain, but it was reliable, and we put on a great show for our partners and fans, so I hope everyone enjoyed it. On to Bahrain!”