Why did Williams Racing switch to a matte F1 livery for 2023?

Williams Racing will run its cars in a matte finish in 2023 in an effort to save weight.


Why did Williams Racing switch to a matte F1 livery for 2023?

The Williams FW45

Williams Racing has finally unveiled its livery for the 2023 F1 season. The main focus of the British outfit’s launch event was on its new partnership with Gulf Oil. The team has received the backing of this iconic name in a bid to finally make its way back to the midfield. Although, the livery of the FW45 seemed to be an evolution from its predecessor. It had one major change, a new matte finish.

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The Matte finish on the FW45 is speculated to be a way for the team to save weight. Formula 1 teams are always finding methods to reduce the weight of cars. Weight reduction can considerably help in making a car faster. So much, so that every gram counts. Thus Williams Racing has decided to run its 2023 challenger in an all-matte livery as it tries to reduce the car’s weight to the limit.

Williams begins a new journey in 2023

Interestingly, the minimum weight of F1 cars became a major challenge for a few teams in 2022, including Williams. Subsequently, the British team resorted to stripping off the car’s paint in certain areas in an effort to save some precious grams of weight. McLaren was also one of the teams to partake in this process. Hence, Williams‘s decision to run this specific paint finish can help prevent such extreme measures.

Also Read: “What changed bro?” – Fans share mixed reactions to Williams FW45 reveal

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Red Bull Racing started the trend of matte liveries in F1

The Williams FW44 after the removal of paint in a few areas

It was Red Bull Racing that first raced a car in matte paint. The RB12 from 2016 ran this finish as the Austrian team claimed to have saved a few hundred grams. The same finish and livery design have been carried by Red Bull ever since, including its 2023 challenger. Additionally, even Scuderia Ferrari joined the bandwagon as it raced in all-matte paint in 2019. Thus, Williams Racing will join this club of matte liveries on the grid.

One might argue that a couple of hundred grams may not make a world of difference in F1. Especially, when a team like Williams is so far behind its competitors. But, F1 is all about progress where every hundredth of a second, counts. Thus, Alexandar Albon and Logan Sargeant will be seen racing in this new coat of paint this season. Certainly, Williams might not be the only team on the grid to debut a new matte finish.

Hence, the Williams FW45 seems to be on the limit in finding ways to gain an edge over its rivals. Although, this paint scheme might not matter if the British outfit fails to deliver a fast car to its drivers this year. Thus, it remains to be seen whether this new livery will bear fruit for the team as it tries to fight its way back to the F1 midfield. Fans are excited to see what happens this year for the Grove-based team at the pinnacle of motorsport.

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