The inspiration behind the FW44 livery

Our Head of Creative Design guides us through the process of designing a Formula One livery

Published

02 MAR 2022

Est. reading time

3 min

We’ve all seen the stunning FW44 out on track at both Silverstone and Barcelona, and its striking blue design with hints of red has certainly caught the eyes of many, both in the paddock and at home.

In our first episode of The Williams Warm-Up, we caught up with Ed Scott, Head of Creative Design at Williams Racing, who guided us through how our livery was created and how it goes from the early design stage to what you see on the car.

“The way that we came up with the concept for our shiny new livery has all been part of an evolution process, which has evolved from the new brand that we’ve implemented at Williams.

“The journey that has taken place has been quite detailed and it started way back at the beginning of 2021.

“Essentially we worked very closely with the senior board, the wider teams within Williams and our partners to create the car that you now see on track.”

Nicky behind the wheel of the FW44 in Barcelona

Many people believe designers get free reign to do as they please with a new livery before it is launched to the public but, as Ed explains, that is never the case.

“I wish it was as simple as just drawing a concept that we like and putting it onto a car, but what you see is very much an evolution of a development process that entails so many details and touchpoints.

“It’s not a simple process, it’s very complex and to get to where we are now started with initial pen and paper drawings.

“These then go onto the computer and onto CAD (computer-aided design), then we work with the paint shop, engineers and the aero team so we can craft the livery to work in its most optimum form.”

We'll see the FW44 again in Bahrain

One of the most eye-catching features on the FW44 is the diamond pattern that can be seen across the engine cover.

Ed spoke about the importance of this design and why wherever you see our name, you will also see the pattern.

“The diamond pattern is part of our new branding and it’s built into the fabric of the Williams identity.

“Essentially, it’s an evolution of a few different touchpoints within the original branding. The diamond pattern has historical context with premium and luxury sentiments.

“We’ve taken the angles from the W to build this new element to the brand that we can feed into content, be it the livery or our trucks. It adds extra depth to anything associated with the Williams brand.

“It was key for us to get this on the car. It’s also a very sophisticated element to have because it’s flexible.

“As we evolve through the year into 2023 and as we get new sponsors, we can move the angles and tweak it to add value with high contrasting branding areas.

“At the end of the day, liveries aren’t just selling our brand, they’re selling our partners. There's a high value of real estate across the whole of the car, so it helps with our commercial landscape.

“For us, we think it looks fantastic, it really does stand out on the car.”

To hear more from Ed on the FW44 livery, watch the first episode of The Williams Warm-Up below.

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