Williams plans W50 Live in London for 2027 Formula 1 anniversary
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 15, 2026
Williams anniversary plans
Williams will turn its 50th Formula 1 anniversary year into a long celebration, with the team lining up a yearlong program that puts its history, its current project and its fans at the center of the effort. The team will call its next Formula 1 car the FW50, use that chassis designation throughout the anniversary campaign and release limited-edition merchandise and collectibles marked with a commemorative W50 logo. Williams also plans a fan vote to select a special one-off livery for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, giving supporters a direct role in one of the season’s most visible moments. The team said more anniversary events are coming, which suggests the campaign will keep building as the year unfolds. That approach gives Williams a clear message for the milestone. It wants the celebration to feel active, public and tied to the present, not just a look back at old trophies. The anniversary push also gives the team a way to connect its old successes to its current Formula 1 effort, while making the milestone visible beyond the garage and the paddock.
FW50 launch details
The FW50 sits at the center of Williams’ plan. The team will officially launch the car early in the anniversary season and then follow it with W50 Live, a public event built around the team’s past and its future. W50 Live will feature historic Williams cars, memorabilia and a display version of the challenger, creating a showcase that lets fans see the team’s lineage alongside the machine that represents the next chapter. Williams is using the anniversary to make the car launch into more than a reveal. It is turning it into a wider presentation of the brand. The FW50 name gives the car a direct link to the milestone, and the W50 identity runs through the merchandise, the livery vote and the London event. That creates a clear and consistent theme across the celebration. Williams is not treating the anniversary as a single-day marker. It is building a platform around the car and the launch period, then using that platform to keep the story in front of fans throughout the year. The result is a launch plan that reaches beyond the track and into the team’s broader image.
Williams legacy markers
Williams said the anniversary year will also underline how rare its place is in Formula 1. The team expects to become only the third to reach 50 continuous seasons in the series, alongside Ferrari and McLaren. James Vowles and Stefano Domenicali both highlighted that run and Williams’ championship-winning history, and Vowles said the celebrations should introduce that history to a new generation of fans. The team’s plans go beyond the FW50 reveal and the London event. Williams also intends to make an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed centered on Jacques Villeneuve’s title, another link to one of its most important achievements. The team said it expects to finish the celebration with additional events later in the year, keeping the anniversary at the front of its schedule for an extended stretch. Williams will also have Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in its lineup for the season, which gives the campaign a current racing angle to go with the historical one. The team’s message is simple. It sees the milestone as a celebration of continuity, success and the people who carried Williams through five decades of Formula 1.
