Williams is the third Formula 1 team to have presented in the world the livery of the 2023 single-seater, the FW45. A livery that also reveals a new and important partnership between two historic and iconic brands in the world of motorsport.
Gulf x Williams team up for 2023
By now the rumors had become rather insistent but the presentation of the FW45 dispelled any doubts. After the partnership with McLaren, which has now come to an end, one of the major American oil companies, Gulf oil, has formalized the marriage with another historic English team, Williams. The Grove team announced the agreement during the presentation of the single-seater, branded Gulf. The color blue, as we will see in the photos published by Williams, acts as a common thread between these two realities, as well as the presence of the very American Logan sargeant – making his debut in the top category – who will join Alexander Albon at the wheel of the FW45.
"Gulf is a proud partner of the iconic Williams Racing team for the 2023 Formula 1 season and beyond – reads the press release published on the Gulf website. “The two brands share decades of motorsport knowledge and experience. Williams Racing is one of the most successful F1 teams of all time and Gulf has over 85 years of motorsport experience. This partnership will put fans front and center and bring them closer to the sport they love than ever before.”
The agreement between Williams and Gulf is a very important milestone that will bring the two brands into a 360° relationship, also considering Gulf's commitment in the Academy and in the Esports division. Two realities that the team particularly cares about.
"Together, Gulf and Williams will write the next chapter in an iconic story and will go beyond Formula 1 with the Williams Racing Driver Academy and Williams Esports teams, supporting the drivers of tomorrow in their motorsport careers.”
The new Williams FW45 livery
Gulf-branded liveries have always aroused a particular fascination with motorsport fans. With high-profile collaborations such as those with Porsche, McLaren, Audi, Aston Martin, the brand's colors have become iconic and popular all over the world. Still today, in F1, one of the most beautiful liveries of the last decades remains that of the McLaren Gulf in Monaco in 2021. There was therefore a lot of anticipation to find out how they had integrated the two worlds Williams and Gulf, which basically share the blue color in the own identity.
The FW45 was presented by Williams board member James Matthews and Gulf CEO Mike Jones, joined by Albon, Sargeant and Jamie Chadwick, who continues to be a part of the Williams Driver Academy which she joined in 2019. The new team principal was not present, James vowles who will assume his role on February 20th.
The FW45 has the same shades as the single-seater that preceded it, blue, red and light blue, albeit in a finish that makes it more glossy. Gulf branding is embossed on both the front and rear wing. The design on the bonnet and on the sides changes, with a blue stripe that highlights the sidepods area. Overall it's a nice livery, a better version than the previous one. But who knows if it will remain like this until the end of the season considering the weight problem that progressively stripped the FW44 bare last year.
Another novelty concerns the absence of the sponsors who left with Nicholas Latifi. The air scoop was previously branded “Lavazza” while now it has taken on the colours, shape and denomination of a Duracell stylus. A nice find.
Williams defined the FW45 as a “FW44 evolved”, with changes to the layout of the front suspension and the main external aerodynamic surfaces”. A necessary evolution, given the problems of last season and the difficulties of getting out of a project that was basically less efficient than the others. The FW45 is taking shape and the first opportunity to see it on track will be at the shakedown at Silverstone on February 13th.
