How Atlassian Williams F1 Team reshaped its identity for 2026

We sat down with our Head of Creative Design who gives insight into how the team delivered a new look heading into a new era

Published

08 FEB 2026

Est. reading time

4 min

In late-2025, it was announced that a familiar symbol – the Forward W – would be returning to the grid, but this time it would feel sharper, bolder and unmistakably more modern.

Behind that moment was years of work, countless decisions and a clear objective to define what Atlassian Williams F1 Team looked like in the modern era.

For Ed Scott, Head of Creative Design at Williams, the project was both professional and personal.

“I’ve been with the team for nearly 11 years,” he explains. “My role oversees every area of the business – from HR and engineering through to brand, fan engagement and commercial partnerships. Anything you see, touch or experience in the Williams ecosystem, we’re involved in.”

That includes everything from car liveries and driver gear to hospitality, events and, ultimately, the Williams brand itself.

“We’re the brand identity guardians,” Ed says. “That’s the cherry on the cake.”

So why make such a significant change now?

“It’s a really good question,” he admits. “Williams has an incredibly colourful history. You only have to walk through the museum to see all the different eras – you can define Williams by each one.”

But heading into a new regulation cycle in 2026, the team wanted clarity and ownership.

“We started talking about this project nearly two years ago,” Ed explains. “It was about really solidifying who Williams are going into the modern era.”

The new branding at the entrance to our Grove headquarters

A key part of that was the logo itself. The previous ‘W’ mark, introduced in 2014, had become familiar in Formula 1, but it was harder to own beyond it.

“There are so many W logos across sport,” Ed says. “We’re competing for attention not just in F1, but against football, the NFL, the NBA. We needed a mark that cut through that noise and was unmistakably ours.”

That thinking also led to a name change, moving away from “Racing” and back toward how the team naturally refers to itself.

“We always talk about ourselves as Williams F1 Team,” Ed explains. “So that felt like something we needed to address to really reflect who we are and where we’re going.”

The result was a return to the Forward W, the logo that flew during Williams’ most successful championship-winning years, but evolved for today.

“We had full creative freedom,” Ed says. “But we never wanted to design something that was unrecognisable. It had to have soul, it had to stand the test of time. It wasn’t copying and pasting something from the past, it was about understanding where we’ve been and evolving that into something that feels earned today.”

While the logo may look simple, getting it right was anything but.

“It took a long time to get it to work the way it does now,” Ed says. “And then there’s the challenge of applying it to everything.”

Over the last six months alone, his team has spent nearly 2,500 hours updating every single brand asset that travels to races around the world.

Car liveries add another layer of complexity. Modern Formula 1 cars can’t simply be “painted” like those of the past.

“You’ve got commercial requirements, weight limits, aero performance and production challenges,” Ed explains. “And then you’ve got to be able to reproduce that livery across different body panels, across different races, consistently.”

Official 2026 Team Kit

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Rather than reinventing the look every season, Williams has taken a more evolutionary approach.

“We want people to instantly know it’s a Williams,” Ed says. “Especially as the sport grows in new markets. You change things too drastically and people start scratching their heads.”

That’s why blue remains central, evolving year-on-year rather than being replaced. Technological advances have helped too, with modern vinyls, wraps and paint systems now allowing more colour without adding unnecessary weight.

“We’re fortunate to have our own in-house livery production team,” Ed says. “That gives us freedom to colour the car without making it heavier.”

As for the reaction to the rebrand?

“I’ve been absolutely delighted,” Ed says. “When you see it, it just makes sense. It triggers something emotive. People get it. They understand what it represents and where we’re going.”

With a fanbase that spans decades, change always invites strong opinions – but Ed sees that as part of Williams’ DNA.

“Everyone defines Williams by the era they grew up watching,” he says. “For some it’s the FW14B, for others it’s the mid-90s, for others something else entirely.”

Rather than trying to please every viewpoint, the team focused on creating something authentic and enduring.

“Whatever you do, people will always have opinions,” Ed says. “That doesn’t worry me.”

As one of Formula 1’s true legacy teams, Williams’ history is a strength, and the new identity is designed to carry that history forward, not replace it.

“It’s been a hell of a journey,” Ed says. “But seeing it live on the car, in the garage, around the world – it feels right.”

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