Williams · 2026

Williams FW48

The Williams FW48 is Williams’s car for the 2026 season, powered by a Mercedes-AMG F1 M17 E Performance (customer engine).

Updated 4 November 2026

Fact file

Car: Williams FW48
Team: Williams
Engine: Mercedes-AMG F1 M17 E Performance (customer engine)
Launch: 3 February 2026 – livery revealed, first run at Silverstone on 4 February

The car at a glance

The FW48 is Williams' car for the new 2026 rules. Williams buys its engine from Mercedes – a customer engine. Because of production delays the team missed the first test in Barcelona in January.

After 19 races the team is 9th in the constructors’ standings with 12 points. Its best race result so far is 8th. Its speed varied during the season: in qualifying the better of its two cars was 16.0 on average in races 8 to 14, and 14.2 in the last 5 races. In total the team declared 19 new parts for more speed to the FIA; the biggest package came at the Miami Grand Prix (6 parts).

For the Azerbaijan race Williams brought a revised version: a lighter chassis and new aerodynamic parts. Team principal James Vowles called it a step in the right direction, but not enough. He said it is mainly about building for next year and beyond.

Description as of 4 November 2026. The paragraph on the season is updated from the results after every race.

Technical data

Values the rules set for all teams, and details of the Williams FW48. Anything not officially known is left out.

Specific to the Williams FW48
Component	Value
Engine	Mercedes-AMG F1 M17 E PerformanceThe engine comes from Mercedes; the team does not build it itself.
Gearbox	from Mercedes8 forward gears and 1 reverse; the driver shifts with paddles on the steering wheel.
Front suspension	Pull-rodWith push-rod, an angled strut pushes the forces from the wheel up to the springs and dampers; with pull-rod it pulls them down.
Rear suspension	Push-rod
Fuel partner	PetronasAll teams use sustainable fuel in 2026; the partner blends it to FIA specifications.

The same for all cars (rules)
Component	Value
Combustion engine	1.6-litre turbo V61600 cc displacement, 6 cylinders in a V (90 degrees), one turbocharger.
Maximum engine speed	15,000 rpmThe most revolutions per minute the engine’s crankshaft may turn.
Combustion engine power	around 400 kW (about 540 hp)Clearly less than up to 2025 – the electric motor delivers much more instead.
Electric motor (MGU-K)	up to 350 kW (about 470 hp)Recovers energy under braking and adds power when accelerating. Its power is reduced on very fast straights.
Total power	just over 1000 hpOnly as long as the battery supplies enough energy.
MGU-H	no longer usedThe second generator on the turbocharger was dropped for 2026.
Fuel	100% sustainableMade for example from captured CO₂, waste or non-food biomass.
Gearbox	8 forward gears, 1 reverseSequential and semi-automatic: the driver selects each gear, the shift itself is hydraulic.
Chassis	Carbon-fibre monocoqueThe rigid safety cell the driver sits in.
Minimum weight	724 kg plus tyres (768 kg)With driver, without fuel; 726 kg plus tyres in qualifying. Around 30 kg less than in 2025.
Width	at most 1900 mm10 cm narrower than up to 2025.
Wheelbase	at most 3400 mmDistance between the front and rear axles, 20 cm shorter than up to 2025.
Aerodynamics	active wings, no more DRSFront and rear wings go flat on straights (Straight Mode, less drag) and steep for corners (Corner Mode, more downforce); early announcements called this X- and Z-mode.
Tyres	Pirelli, 18 inchControl tyres: every team uses the same Pirelli tyres.

Technical data as of 4 November 2026.

More: how a Formula 1 car works

2026 team comparison

Calculated from official timing data, average over 19 race weekends (as of Mexico City Grand Prix 2026).

Relatively best

Top speed: 6th of 11 – 326.9 km/h at the speed trap on average.

Weaknesses

Pace loss on one set of tyres: 10th of 11 – the lap time gets 0.011 s slower per lap on a set of tyres on average.
Speed over one lap (qualifying): 9th of 11 – on average 2.71 % (about 2.27 s) off the fastest lap.

1st = best value of the eleven teams. The explanation is shown below each name.

2026 team comparison: Williams FW48
Value	Williams FW48	Rank
Top speedHighest speed measured at the speed trap on the straight, averaged over all race weekends. Higher is better.	326.9 km/h	6 of 11
Speed over one lap (qualifying)Gap from the team’s best qualifying lap to the fastest lap of the day, on average. 0 means it set the fastest lap itself. Lower is better.	+2.71 % (approx. 2.27 s)	9 of 11
Sector 1 (qualifying)Every track is split into three sectors. Gap to the best time in the first sector. Lower is better.	+2.43 %	9 of 11
Sector 2 (qualifying)Gap to the best time in the middle sector. Lower is better.	+3.09 %	9 of 11
Sector 3 (qualifying)Gap to the best time in the final sector. Lower is better.	+2.73 %	9 of 11
Race paceTypical lap time in the race (without the start, pit stops and safety car periods), gap to the fastest team. Lower is better.	+2.64 % (approx. 2.34 s)	9 of 11
Laps per set of tyresHow many laps a car ran on one set of tyres in the race, on average. More usually means the tyres last longer.	17.4 laps	9 of 11
Pace loss on one set of tyresHow the lap time changes from lap to lap on the same set of tyres. Wearing tyres make the car slower, the emptying fuel tank makes it faster. Lower is better; a minus means the car even got faster over the run.	+0.011 s per lap	10 of 11
Pit stop timeHow much longer a car spent in the pit lane per stop than the fastest team (driving through plus the tyre change). Lower is better.	+1.59 s	7 of 11

Top speedHighest speed measured at the speed trap on the straight, averaged over all race weekends. Higher is better.

Race paceTypical lap time in the race (without the start, pit stops and safety car periods), gap to the fastest team. Lower is better.

Pace loss on one set of tyresHow the lap time changes from lap to lap on the same set of tyres. Wearing tyres make the car slower, the emptying fuel tank makes it faster. Lower is better; a minus means the car even got faster over the run.

Pit stop timeHow much longer a car spent in the pit lane per stop than the fastest team (driving through plus the tyre change). Lower is better.

Upgrades during the season

As declared by the teams to the FIA before each Grand Prix (27 new or changed parts).

Reason given by the team: “performance” means the part is meant to make the car faster. “Circuit-specific” means it is adapted to one particular track, for example more cooling in the heat or less drag for long straights. “Reliability” means it is meant to prevent failures.

Upgrades during the season: Williams FW48
Race	New or changed parts
Japanese Grand Prix	Front Suspension (performance)
Miami Grand Prix	Floor, Sidepod, Mirror assembly, Tailpipe bracket, RIS fairings, Rear brace wing (performance)
Canadian Grand Prix	Front Suspension, Exhaust Tailpipe (performance) Front Corner (circuit-specific)
Monaco Grand Prix	Front Suspension, Exhaust Tailpipe (performance)
Barcelona Grand Prix	Rear Wing (performance)
British Grand Prix	Front Wing (performance)
Belgian Grand Prix	Floor Body (performance) Rear Corner, Floor Body (circuit-specific)
Hungarian Grand Prix	Rear Wing, Floor Body (circuit-specific)
Italian Grand Prix	Halo, Front Wing, Floor Body (circuit-specific)
Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Floor, Tail, Front Corner, Rear Suspension, Rear Corner (performance)

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