Williams Racing reveals its 2023 F1 car, the FW45 with Gulf Oil becoming a prominent face on the car

Williams Racing unveiled its challenger for the 2023 F1 season, alongside Gulf Oil's addition as a partner.


Williams Racing reveals its 2023 F1 car, the FW45 with Gulf Oil becoming a prominent face on the car

The Williams FW45

Williams Racing has finally removed the curtains off its 2023 F1 car. The FW45 will bear the iconic name on the grid this season at the helm of Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant. However, the main highlight of the season launch for the British team was the addition of a new sponsor. Gulf Oil joins Williams for this season as a major partner of the team, alongside its driver academy and e-sports endeavors.

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The Gulf Oil logos are visible throughout the car and the driver overalls. The iconic name can be seen just before the halo in the front of the FW45, along with even appearing on the rear wing. Certainly, bringing in some much-needed flair to the Williams F1 design. Additionally, Stephens and PureStream join the British outfit this season as partners. Duracell stays on board with the now-loved integration on the car.

Logan Sargeant will start his F1 journey with the British team

The FW45 carries over the basic design of its predecessor from 2022. Although, this year, Williams Racing will race its car in a classy matte finish. Matte liveries have become more prevalent in Formula 1 over the years, as it helps reduce a few hundred grams of weight. Weight saving is a major focus of F1 teams and this new finish will carry it one step further. On the other hand, the car’s design is an evolution from last season.

Also Read: Who was the first ever Williams F1 Team Principal?

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Can Williams improve on its prospects in 2023?

Gulf Oil becomes a major sponsor of Williams this season

The Williams F1 team has struggled in the past few years in the sport. However, under new owners, Dorilton Capital, the team seemed to be on the up. The British outfit even managed to sign Alexandar Albon from the Red Bull family in a bid to boost its F1 prospects. Unfortunately, in 2022, the team failed to deliver as it arguably had the slowest car on the grid. For this season, Williams will be hoping to finally change its F1 trajectory.

Williams Racing will have a completely new management structure this year after the arrival of James Vowles. This will allow the British team to go in a new direction this season after failing to bring in results previously. Subsequently, a lot of pressure will be on the shoulders of rookie, Logan Sargeant. Sargeant will be making his F1 debut this season at a critical time for Williams.

Thus, the FW45 looks fresh but the main question still remains. Whether it can truly compete in the F1 midfield. Williams Racing has finally found appropriate sponsorship backing with the addition of Gulf Oil. However, the British outfit must deliver some decent on-track results to build upon this development. After all, it’s the race finishes which count in Formula 1. Thus, Williams has an uphill task this year.

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