Williams to run six different liveries this winter
As the two FW29B interim cars roll out at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit to start the team’s preparation and testing for 2008, the car livery will include references to the company’s 30th year of racing and its 500th entry in a Formula One Grand Prix, a milestone that will be recorded at the Turkish Grand Prix this season. In addition, the team will record its 50,000 racing lap during the forthcoming year, potentially during the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona assuming both FW30s demonstrate a complete finishing record to this point in the season.
In addition to these company milestones, the Monaco Grand Prix will be Frank Williams’ 600th Formula One Grand Prix as an entrant, and with a personal record that will span 39 years (and only 23 races missed in almost four decades), he will become the sport’s longest enduring Formula One team entrant, surpassing the record of the legendary Enzo Ferrari.
The team will release its second winter livery at the Valencia test next week, which is also scheduled to be the first run for the team’s 2008 race car, the FW30, which will make its track debut on Tuesday, January 22, 2008.
In total, six themed liveries will be run across the two month winter testing campaign in Spain prior to the team’s full racing colors being released prior to the season’s inaugural race in Melbourne, Australia on March 16, 2008.
Note: Williams Grand Prix Engineering was incorporated in 1977 and entered its first Patrick Head designed chassis in a Grand Prix thirty years ago in 1978.
Statistics to date:
WF1 Laps raced: 49,634
WF1 GPs contested: 495
Frank Williams F1 entries: 594
Enzo Ferrari F1 entries: 441
Ken Tyrrell F1 entries: 418
Colin Chapman F1 entries: 301
Enzo Ferrari length of service as a constructor: 1950 to 1998, 38 years