FW40
The white and blue challenger navigating the difficult mid-field of the 2018 season.
The Williams FW40 was the Formula One chassis designed by Williams Racing for the 2018 FIA World Championship season. Following a period of intense competition during the early hybrid turbo era, the FW40 represented a transitional phase where the Grove-based team sought to regain competitiveness against dominant rivals like Mercedes and Ferrari. Driven by Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll, the car carried the iconic Martini livery that had become synonymous with the team's modern identity. While it did not challenge for race wins, the FW40 remains a significant chapter in the team's technical history, marking their continued partnership with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains during a challenging mid-field struggle.
- Season
- 2018
- Drivers
- Sergio Pérez, Lance Stroll
- Engine Supplier
- Mercedes-AMG F1
- Chassis Designation
- FW40
- Team Name
- Williams Martini Racing
- Livery Sponsor
- Martini
Lore & Background
In the grand narrative of Williams Racing, the FW40 occupies a quiet but necessary space. While the early 2010s saw Williams return to winning ways with V6 hybrid engines, the 2018 season highlighted the widening gap between the top-tier manufacturers and their customer partners. The car was a testament to resilience within the team structure. With Claire Williams taking a more prominent leadership role alongside her father Frank, the FW40 symbolized the family's enduring commitment to the sport despite financial and performance headwinds. It kept the Martini stripes flying high on circuits from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi, maintaining the brand's visual legacy even as points became harder to secure.
In Their Own Story
The garage at Silverstone hummed with a different energy this year. The FW40 sat on the jack, its white nose gleaming under the floodlights, framed by the bold blue and red Martini stripes. Sergio Pérez climbed in, helmet visor down, feeling the familiar vibration of the Mercedes power unit through the chassis. There was no roar of victory expected today, only the quiet determination to extract every millisecond from the setup. As the engines fired up for qualifying, the sound echoed off the grandstands—a reminder that even without trophies at the top, the heart of Williams still beat in the pit lane.
Reader's Guide
Engineers focused on maximizing downforce through ground effects and optimizing the Mercedes M09 EQ Power+ unit for reliability rather than raw power, as the engine was already proven across multiple teams. Visually, the car retained the classic Williams white base with Martini Racing stripes, a heritage look that resonated strongly with fans. The front wing featured complex endplate elements designed to manage airflow around the tires, while the rear suspension geometry aimed to improve mechanical grip on low-grip surfaces. Performance-wise, the FW40 was characterized by consistency rather than outright speed. It struggled against the development pace of midfield rivals like Renault and McLaren during the season. However, its influence lay in maintaining Williams' operational presence in F1, serving as a platform for data gathering that would inform future chassis developments.
Did You Know?
- Sergio Pérez scored all of Williams' championship points during the 2018 campaign.
- The FW40 was powered by the Mercedes M09 EQ Power+ hybrid unit.
- This season marked a significant leadership transition within the Williams team hierarchy.
- Lance Stroll made his second full-time start with the team in this chassis.
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