2059 replies to this topic

[Beri]

Introduction
 
The glorious FW42 has been presented. The days of darkness will be over! (Once the team gets it going at testing)
 

_{"Daddy! We have found ourselves a new sponsor!"}
 
The biggest news surrounding the FW42 is not missing out on testing. No, it is not! It is the signing of a new sponsor: ROKiT!
 
.. Who?
.. ROKiT! 
.. This company? https://www.rokit.co.uk/
.. No this one! https://rokitphones.com/
 
This will result in Williams taking on a drastic new livery. After years of bearing the iconic Martini striped livery, drinking way too many Martini's and having heard the James Bond punchline one too many times, the drinks company decided it was time to call it quits. The Williams team then had to go on a 3 month detox cure and had to find themselves a new sponsor before testing arrived. Once testing arrived, it appeared that the Williams team still had a bad hangover from all those Martini's, so it skipped the first two days of testing. But not before it presented a brand new livery to the world..
 
Behold the Majestic new livery:




 
 
@https://twitter.com/WilliamsRacing/status/1096408709679464449
_{Round round baby go round}   
 
 
The drivers
 

_{Three badass people in their respective jumpsuits are ready to ROKiT!}
 
The gladiators who are to tame the beast called the FW42, will be:
Robert "Yes I can still take the Loews hairpin" Kubica.
And
George "I stole Ricciardo's smile" Russell.
 
Third driver this season is the world famous and utterly well financed talented Canadian Nicholas "I do not have enough Superlicense points to even drive an F1 race" Latifi.
 
 
Facts and figures on the FW42 _{(thus far)}

Chassis name
FW42
 
Constructor
ROKiT Williams Racing

Engine
Mercedes

Transmission
In house build 9 speed gearbox (8 forward, 1 reverse)

Lubricants
Petronas Primax

Tyres
Pirelli

Rims
Dicastal 13"

Race drivers
George Russell #63
Robert Kubica #88

Test driver
Nicholas Latifi

Edited by jcbc3, 20 February 2019 - 14:40.

[Francesc]

That's an fw40 actually hehe

I hope we see a big sponsor joining to fill the rear wing or the engine cover.

[GiorgioF1]

Sofina (Latifi) sponsorship on the nose. That was some quiet announcement lol   

Edited by GiorgioF1, 29 January 2019 - 12:43.

[Baddoer]

Yep thats Martini scraped off old car.

[JBJ]

Former thread was closed because it was premature.
Opening a new one and calling it "Title Contender"

Love it !

[PayasYouRace]

I wonder what the actual livery will be like.

[Jambo]

Let's go 2019!

[Pete_f1]

Points from the off! Hope they challenge McLaren

[Beri]

Former thread was closed because it was premature.
Opening a new one and calling it "Title Contender"
Love it !

One may be optimistic, right?
Stll, no matter how you look at it.. all teams are in contention for the championship. So any team can win it. Albeit one team has bigger means of winning the title than others. But still, the FW42 is a title contender.

I wonder what the actual livery will be like.

Me too. I really hope that the navy blue testing livery, that we have seen before, will be the actual livery.

[jannyg]

You got me!

 

Opened this thread expecting to see a quote from an "insider" saying something like:

 

'The numbers coming from the windtunnel are excellent and the feeling is the team have a genuine title contending car'

 

[Beri]

Lol, I wish I had inside information like that ;)

[Rjpscr]

Here's hoping the FW42 is a much better car and make a jump up the grid like Sauber did. And in terms of livery I want something like this.

[WilliamsF1Fan]

It would be disappointing if Williams use the alcohol free version of the Martini livery.  I wanted to see a return to blue like in the photo above.  I get the feeling though it is going to be this or else why have an event with Orlen using those colours?

[PedroDiCasttro]

That is clearly a placeholder, they won't use a martini based livery. Why would they? They parted ways with the drink's company after all.

[Anja]

It would be disappointing if Williams use the alcohol free version of the Martini livery. I wanted to see a return to blue like in the photo above. I get the feeling though it is going to be this or else why have an event with Orlen using those colours?

It's a weird situation but I don't think that's the final livery. Just something slapped together quickly for a sponsor event - it's not a proper season launch.

[balmybaldwin]

You got me!

 

Opened this thread expecting to see a quote from an "insider" saying something like:

 

'The numbers coming from the windtunnel are excellent and the feeling is the team have a genuine title contending car'

 

 

 

After last years car, even if such numbers existed, there's no way they'd let it get out that they are optimistic until they'd smashed it in testing

[Thatfastguy]

Williams has has the lamest livery on the grid these last few years. Hope they do something cool with it this year.

[PayasYouRace]

First time I've ever seen the Martini livery called lame, but each to their own I suppose.

[BRG]

Williams has has the lamest livery on the grid these last few years. Hope they do something cool with it this year.

  I sometimes despair of this forum...

[theblackangus]

If by lame, you mean the best looking livery of any car in recent history.... I agree

[tghik]

Proper livery makes the car look fast, and that's what makes the fans hearts race. I hope we see small quali number positions starting in Merlbourne.

 

How far can they jump up from the last place ? This as much is a reflection of a better design also depends on other teams to screw up. Satellite teams with the technology transfers from the motherships will be hard to beat, Williams unfortunately swims up the river. Crossing the fingers for Paddy and his designers, if there is no major flaw Russell and Kubica can put up a fight. Haas and Mclaren drivers are beatable in equal equipment, Racing Point in transition make them susceptible to stumble, Torro Rosso hopefully used as experimental platform, that's already a 4 places bounce up potential.

 

Sauber basically an old Ferrari model, no chance of defeating them. Williams 6th at the end will make many people satisfied, no ?

[Beri]

First time I've ever seen the Martini livery called lame, but each to their own I suppose.

To be fair, the livery could have been a tad more exciting. Plus the non alcohol stripes just didn't do the livery good.
Still I do think that the livery, despite only having run 5 seasons, should be called iconic.

[PayasYouRace]

To be fair, the livery could have been a tad more exciting. Plus the non alcohol stripes just didn't do the livery good.
Still I do think that the livery, despite only having run 5 seasons, should be called iconic.

 

Actually I really like the non-alcohol version.

[Beri]

I found it kinda.. well.. sterile?

[PayasYouRace]

I found it kinda.. well.. sterile?

 

Ironic choice of word there. 

[Beri]

unlucky choice of words by me now you pointed it out

[sgtkate]

Proper livery makes the car look fast, and that's what makes the fans hearts race. I hope we see small quali number positions starting in Merlbourne.

 

How far can they jump up from the last place ? This as much is a reflection of a better design also depends on other teams to screw up. Satellite teams with the technology transfers from the motherships will be hard to beat, Williams unfortunately swims up the river. Crossing the fingers for Paddy and his designers, if there is no major flaw Russell and Kubica can put up a fight. Haas and Mclaren drivers are beatable in equal equipment, Racing Point in transition make them susceptible to stumble, Torro Rosso hopefully used as experimental platform, that's already a 4 places bounce up potential.

 

Sauber basically an old Ferrari model, no chance of defeating them. Williams 6th at the end will make many people satisfied, no ?

This is potentially a double edged sword...whilst they are the salmon swimming upstream, they also have more freedom to take a new or riskier approach than the satellite teams do. Toro Rosso will never 'do a Brawn', but Williams or McLaren could.

[BRG]

Still I do think that the livery, despite only having run 5 seasons, should be called iconic.

The Martini livery has been around a bit longer than 5 years, and it was already iconic long before it was applied to a WIlliams car.

[Anja]

That livery was perfect - simple and elegant, just as a Martini livery should be. If some people see that as boring and lame, well, that's their problem.

[Beri]

The Martini livery has been around a bit longer than 5 years, and it was already iconic long before it was applied to a WIlliams car.

I believe we were talking about the white Martini striped Williams liveries. Not about the Brabham one.

[absinthedude]

I believe we were talking about the white Martini striped Williams liveries. Not about the Brabham one.

 

Martini sponsorship of various classes of cars in motorsport over the last 40+ years have made use of similar livery and colour schemes. It is iconic, be it on a Lancia, Brabham, Porsche or a Williams. To describe it as "lame" is one's right.....but I am quite happy to say such an opinion is not valid.

[Beri]

I liked the livery, tho I think it could have been better.

[Maxioos]

All I hope is they at least join midpack.

If so, there is a possibility there will be no "for sure" last team like we have had last seasons visible after 3 races. That should result in great races and competition.

I look very forward towards Kubica his return. And if he does great, that possibility is there imo., could give the season historic and movie like stories like his first podium after comeback, etc.

From solid top 5 they went down to the bottom and they stayed there longer than for my liking at least. For next season top 6 should at least be the goal, but there are no competitors who not also legit should have that ambition as minimal goal. I hope for team and drivers they at least get the chance to fight and not are dead last from getgo.

[noikeee]

Yeah it was a good livery but I've seen versions of the Martini scheme I liked better.

As for the new season I guess they're not that far behind the rest, and there's new rules so the chance to catch up a bit is always there (and they've done well under rule changes in the recent past). On the downside that applies to all other teams as well, and Williams have just lost their main sponsor, plus Stroll's money, plus as talented as I think their two new drivers are, that's a potentially costly break in continuity and they're both effectively rookies.

I don't know, there's a positive buzz about them now due to the drivers being liked, but realistically I wouldn't expect much. I'm expecting maybe leaping forward ahead of 1 team or 2. Even then it's hard to imagine which team would that be, RP/FI are in trouble but would have to go backwards a fair bit, McLaren have better resources than Williams and will understand the Renault engine better now, Haas are way ahead, Toro Rosso already had their sacrificial adapt to Honda season and were ahead anyway; Sauber maybe but they're getting more investment under Alfa Romeo whereas Williams is getting less with no Martini or Stroll. So eh, I really don't know about whether Williams can have that many ambitions here...

Edited by noikeee, 30 January 2019 - 19:36.

[Paco]

The martini was ok when they signed Martini but needed a evolution that just never came along.  I as well would like to see the old white lenova 2007 edition livery design 

 

[STIGG]

Points from the off! Hope they challenge McLaren

 

Points from the off?! Come on, give McLaren a chance!

[Beri]

Yeah it was a good livery but I've seen versions of the Martini scheme I liked better.

As for the new season I guess they're not that far behind the rest, and there's new rules so the chance to catch up a bit is always there (and they've done well under rule changes in the recent past). On the downside that applies to all other teams as well, and Williams have just lost their main sponsor, plus Stroll's money, plus as talented as I think their two new drivers are, that's a potentially costly break in continuity and they're both effectively rookies.

I don't know, there's a positive buzz about them now due to the drivers being liked, but realistically I wouldn't expect much. I'm expecting maybe leaping forward ahead of 1 team or 2. Even then it's hard to imagine which team would that be, RP/FI are in trouble but would have to go backwards a fair bit, McLaren have better resources than Williams and will understand the Renault engine better now, Haas are way ahead, Toro Rosso already had their sacrificial adapt to Honda season and were ahead anyway; Sauber maybe but they're getting more investment under Alfa Romeo whereas Williams is getting less with no Martini or Stroll. So eh, I really don't know about whether Williams can have that many ambitions here...

Let's agree to disagree.
Toro Rosso will be used as a test mule for Honda. So I reckon some penalties and point losses there.
McLaren better facilities? I doubt it, but let's say they do. Then they have done very little with it over the past seasons and have even done a worse job than Williams. Therefore no obvious sign that they will improve.
Haas, is last years Ferrari. But they did throw the second half of the season away and I reckon Williams' drivers to be better than Haas'.
Force Canada will have some rough patches. But could be managed in the first half of the season. Force Canada has shown that they do develop well over a season, Williams doesn't.
As for the other teams, I think they are out of reach for Williams. But as said, there are more possibilities than just 1 place in the WCC.

[noikeee]

Let's agree to disagree.
Toro Rosso will be used as a test mule for Honda. So I reckon some penalties and point losses there.
McLaren better facilities? I doubt it, but let's say they do. Then they have done very little with it over the past seasons and have even done a worse job than Williams. Therefore no obvious sign that they will improve.
Haas, is last years Ferrari. But they did throw the second half of the season away and I reckon Williams' drivers to be better than Haas'.
Force Canada will have some rough patches. But could be managed in the first half of the season. Force Canada has shown that they do develop well over a season, Williams doesn't.
As for the other teams, I think they are out of reach for Williams. But as said, there are more possibilities than just 1 place in the WCC.

Let's see. I don't think it's impossible they could overtake all 4 of those teams, rule changes make things a bit random and it's hard to predict the order with any accuracy, sometimes that makes for huge leaps forwards (or backwards when someone screws up car design!) that don't follow any foreseeable logical pattern. 

 

But I don't think the odds are great for that to happen, on paper I see the position of Williams as weaker than those teams. The weakest car in 2018 + considerably less money in 2019 than in 2018, doesn't scream like a recipe for success... also I think you're way overestimating how much difference drivers make. They don't design cars, and even if Russell/Kubica are more talented than Grosjean/Magnussen for example (and I think they are), having no experience in racing recent F1 cars is a handicap.

 

For McLaren I said "resources" not "facilities" by which I meant they have more money. I do believe their factory is also better than Williams', though. They've definitely been very underwhelming on car design recently, but I've read articles that pinned down last year's screw-up on them just having vastly underestimated the challenge of integrating Renault, which won't be a factor again as now they know.

[WilliamsF1Fan]

Williams announce a new partner in the shape of James Harvest Sportswear.  My first thoughts are 'who?" and 'Eh?' but I guess it is good news that they have people still interested in being involved.  It seems the parent company is Texet Benelux.  Nope, not heard of them either!  

 

Apologies to those in the Benelux nations who are aware of this brand, please let me know if they are any good!!

[Stephane]

Belgian here, never heard of either

[Nathan]

It would be disappointing if Williams use the alcohol free version of the Martini livery. I wanted to see a return to blue like in the photo above. I get the feeling though it is going to be this or else why have an event with Orlen using those colours?

Its easier to sell vast expanses of white than blue.

[Beri]

Williams announce a new partner in the shape of James Harvest Sportswear. My first thoughts are 'who?" and 'Eh?' but I guess it is good news that they have people still interested in being involved. It seems the parent company is Texet Benelux. Nope, not heard of them either!

Apologies to those in the Benelux nations who are aware of this brand, please let me know if they are any good!!

Dutch here. Haven't heard of them untill now.

[PayasYouRace]

https://www.jamesharvest.com

The Williams partnership is front page news on their website.

It’s a Swedish clothing brand and I’d imagine they might be known in more Scandinavian regions.

[TheGoldenStoffel]

Livery and apparently title sponsor reveal on Monday

 

 

Chris Medland

‏ @ChrisMedlandF1

Meer

Chris Medland heeft geretweet WILLIAMS RACING

Williams to unveil its 2019 livery and a new title partnership on Monday #F1

Chris Medland heeft toegevoegd,

0:16

WILLIAMS RACINGGeverifieerd account @WilliamsRacing

11.02.19. #LiveryUnveil

 

Privébericht

Edited by TheGoldenStoffel, 07 February 2019 - 16:18.

[thegamer23]

From their Instagram teaser, I brightened it up.

Striking new livery isn't it? 😆

Looks completely white or silver, and with extremely tight sidepods

Edited by thegamer23, 07 February 2019 - 16:34.

[Rjpscr]

From their Instagram teaser, I brightened it up.

Striking new livery isn't it?

Looks completely white or silver, and with extremely tight sidepods
 

When they did this video they could of easily made the car white just for the video to hide the actual livery.  there are also no sponsors to be seen in that image either. Now if the whole car is actually white then I'll be disappointed.   

[WilliamsF1Fan]

New title partnership sounds very positive until I remember Williams probably sold it for peanuts again.  Still, I choose to be optimistic! 

[Rjpscr]

New title partnership sounds very positive until I remember Williams probably sold it for peanuts again.  Still, I choose to be optimistic! 

Its better than nothing at all haha cant wait till Monday.

[Anja]

New title partnership sounds very positive until I remember Williams probably sold it for peanuts again.  Still, I choose to be optimistic! 

 

The sport is in decline and so are the sponsorship deals, time to accept that. It's good to hear they managed to get anyone at all. 

[WilliamsF1Fan]

The sport is in decline and so are the sponsorship deals, time to accept that. It's good to hear they managed to get anyone at all. 

 

I did say I choose to be optimistic.