Williams Unveiled the 2023 Livery and Announced New Gulf Relationship

Williams Racing has unveiled its FW45 racer for the 2023 Formula One season. One of F1's most illustrious teams in history has joined forces with another racing titan, Gulf Oil. While the exact length of the collaboration is unknown, Williams acknowledges that it is "multi-year" and includes the team's driver academy.

The Gulf Oil brand returns to F1 in 2020 in collaboration with McLaren, with whom it has worked closely since 1968. This culminated in the fan-favorite 2021 Monaco Grand Prix livery. That extended collaboration, however, expired at the end of 2022.

Gulf Oil International CEO Mike Jones outlined to Autocar India why Williams was the perfect fit for Gulf. "We looked at several different choices, and we found that Williams shares the same culture as Gulf - a lot of passion and outstanding team effort.

Williams Esports and the Driver Academy are also part of the collaboration. "E-sports attracts the younger generation. So it's a fantastic opportunity for us to introduce Gulf to a younger audience," Jones remarked.

The contract between Williams and Gulf Oil has been defined as a multi-year "strategic alliance". On the other hand, Williams Racing Board Member James Bower stated that it "may blossom into a technical relationship further down the line.”

Williams FW45

While Williams' 2023 F1 challenger may not have the famous Gulf livery, it does have plenty of Gulf badging. After optimizing the power unit cooling architecture, the team claims to have "heavily evolved" the sidepod concept.

The front suspension configuration and other external aerodynamic surfaces have also been modified.

2023 F1 Drivers of Williams

Alex Albon will remain with Williams for another year, but the club has made a new acquisition of American driver Logan Sargeant, who succeeds Nicholas Latifi. The 21-year-old finished fourth in the F2 championship last year and is the first American to compete in F1 since Alexander Rossi in 2015.

Williams also has a new team manager, with former Mercedes strategist James Vowles taking over for JostCapito. The squad has had a difficult few years, finishing last in four of the last five seasons (eighth place in 2021 being the only exception). They'll be hoping that these modifications will give them a new lease on life as they work their way up the food chain.