Albon Gives FW48 First Laps as Sainz Joins In

Williams became the final Formula 1 team to run its 2026 car when the FW48 completed a private shakedown at Silverstone on Feb. 4, 2026 after the Grove-based squad missed last week’s Barcelona collective test because of production delays. Team principal James Vowles described the Barcelona absence as “painful” and said the programme had relied heavily on simulator work and a Virtual Track Test (VTT) to make up mileage; he also warned the team was “already more than 500 laps behind rivals Mercedes” in on-track understanding. Williams confirmed the FW48 passed mandatory crash tests and has been through several weeks of virtual development before its first physical laps, a sequence intended to manage the heavier loads introduced under the 2026 regulations.

The Silverstone outing was staged as a private filming shakedown and featured Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz sharing driving duties, with Albon completing the FW48’s first laps. The car ran a fan-selected temporary “Flow State” testing livery and carried branding from a group of new partners; Williams released only a limited number of images from the largely wet session. Engineers used the run to validate packaging choices — photographs showed a pull-rod front suspension and anti-dive geometry — to identify minor issues and to collect initial on-track data after weeks of VTT and simulator work.

Vowles called the outing a “milestone moment” and framed it as the start of a concentrated push toward more complete pre-season running, while Albon said the limited debut “doesn’t define our season.” Williams plans to take the FW48 to the Bahrain pre-season tests on Feb. 11–13 and Feb. 18–20 to expand its running program, refine setups and close the deficit ahead of the season opener in Melbourne in March. The Silverstone shakedown moved the FW48 out of virtual and production phases into real-world operation, providing a modest but necessary step in the team’s preparation for on-track competition.