Williams’ new 2022 Formula 1 car, the FW44, has been revealed after it made its first outing at Silverstone.
Williams’ first track run of the FW44 took place at Silverstone on wet tyres just the same day that the team revealed their 2022 team colors.
Williams revealed images of their shakedown with Nicholas Latifi about to exit the garage via social media just hours after their online premiere, at which they only displayed digital renders of their 2022 car.
During their online unveiling earlier on Tuesday, the Grove-based outfit unveiled their striking blue livery for 2022, however it was on a show car rather than their real 2022 chassis.
The team was showcasing their largely dark blue livery, which had elements of the lighter blue seen on their recent vehicles as well as some red, which was introduced to showcase their British roots, according to Williams CEO Jost Capito.
The real FW44 differs dramatically from the car shown during the digital presentation, with the front end, sidepods, and engine cover region looking similar to the 2022 McLaren car, which was revealed last week.
According to reports, the shakedown was delayed by at least an hour due to a “electrical fault” identified by the team.
Latifi was making his comeback two months after inadvertently deciding the fate of the 2021 Drivers’ World Championship in Abu Dhabi. This happened as the Canadian crashed during a duel with Mick Schumacher during the final stages of the race.
While the debris of Latifi’s vehicle was being cleared, the Safety Car was deployed, resulting in many minutes of contentious decision-making by race director Michael Masi, which saw Max Verstappen pass Lewis Hamilton for victory and the championship.
