F1: Williams Unveils Fan-Voted ‘Flow State’ Livery for 2026 Pre-Season
Williams F1 has revealed a special fan-voted ‘Flow State’ livery that will debut on the FW48 during 2026 pre-season testing in Barcelona later in January 2026.
By Divyam Dubey
Williams has revealed the fan-voted ‘Flow State’ livery that will feature on its 2026 Formula 1 car during pre-season testing in Barcelona from 26 to 30 January. For fans, this marks the first real glimpse of the Grove team stepping into the new F1 era, even before the race cars line up for round one. The livery will run on the FW48 during the opening test, giving supporters something to focus on as teams begin work under the revised technical regulations. Williams involved its global fanbase directly in the process, offering six design options through an online vote. A total of 54,718 fans from 162 countries took part.
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Close to one third of the votes went to ‘Flow State’, making it the clear choice to represent Williams during its first on-track running of 2026.
Fan choice leads Williams into 2026 testing
The ‘Flow State’ livery features navy blue lines laid over a white base and has already been shown on a 2026-specification show car. Williams has confirmed that this design will be used only during pre-season testing and will not be the final race livery for the season. The FW48 launch date is yet to be announced, but the same colours will appear across all scheduled test sessions as the team gathers early data.
Testing will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya behind closed doors. This approach is expected to be common across the grid, with several teams likely to delay full livery reveals or limit media access while focusing on development. Williams has instead chosen to put fan engagement front and centre during its first appearance under the new rules.
For the 2026 season, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will continue as the driver pairing, running Mercedes power units under an unchanged supply deal. The season also marks the start of a new Williams Racing identity, with a revised logo that references the team’s historic Forward W, giving fans another talking point as testing begins.
