Racing car model
 | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Williams | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Pat Fry (Chief Technical Officer) David Worner (Design Director) Jonathan Carter (Deputy Chief Designer) Dave Robson (Head of Vehicle Performance Adam Kenyon (Chief Aerodynamicist) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | Williams FW45 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon-fibre monocoque, laminated from carbon epoxy and honeycomb | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbone, push-rod activated springs and anti-roll bar | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbone, pull-rod activated springs and anti-roll bar | ||||||||||
| Engine | Mercedes-AMG M15 E Performance 1.6 L (98 cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 RPM in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout | ||||||||||
| Electric motor | Kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems | ||||||||||
| Transmission | Mercedes-AMG 8 forward + 1 reverse gear seamless sequential semi-automatic shift plus reverse gear, gear selection electro-hydraulically actuated | ||||||||||
| Battery | Lithium-ion battery | ||||||||||
| Fuel | Gulf | ||||||||||
| Lubricants | Gulf | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Pirelli P Zero (dry) Pirelli Cinturato (wet) | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | Williams Racing | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers |
| ||||||||||
| Debut | 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last event | 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The Williams FW46 is a Formula One racing car designed and constructed by Williams to compete in the 2024 Formula One World Championship. The car was driven by Alexander Albon, Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto, the latter of whom replaced Sargeant for the final nine races of the season. Throughout the season, which was riddled with numerous incidents, the team scored 17 points.
Design and development
The FW46 was first revealed on 5 February 2024. It featured a livery largely similar to the one run on the FW44 and FW45 cars. The car is Williams' first to utilise an on-wheel multi-function display (MFD), the previous cars having the display set on the chassis itself.
Williams changed their car manufacturing process for 2024 in an attempt to modernise its systems. This meant that Williams initially had to produce metal car parts to save time, instead of the carbon fiber that modern Formula One cars are built out of. However, this actually led to them exceeding the weight limit, and the team was losing 0.45 seconds a lap. Additionally, the usage of metal parts resulted in heavier crash damage.
Williams has raced special liveries on the FW46. For the Mexico City and São Paulo Grands Prix, Williams introduced a special Mercado Libre livery to commorate its newfound partnership with the Argentine online marketplace. Mercado Libre became an official partner of Williams after the signing of Franco Colapinto.
Season summary
At the season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit, Albon and Sargeant qualified 13th and 18th respectively, finishing in 15th and 20th. At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the drivers started 12th and 19th and finished in 11th and 14th. As there was no spare chassis available, Sargeant withdrew from the Australian Grand Prix to allow teammate Albon to use his chassis; Albon had crashed heavily in practice and the team were unable to repair his car. Albon ultimately finished in twelfth. Sargeant damaged the repaired chassis in the following Japanese Grand Prix during the first free practice session.
Sargeant was dropped from the Italian Grand Prix onwards with Williams Academy driver Franco Colapinto stepping up from his Formula 2 campaign to take his place for the remainder of the season. At Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the team achieved their first double-points finish of the season with Albon in seventh and Colapinto in eighth. In the process, Colapinto became the first Argentine driver since Carlos Reutemann to score points in 1982.
Complete Formula One results
Key| Key | |
|---|---|
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Other points position |
| Blue | Other classified position |
| Not classified, finished (NC) | |
| Purple | Not classified, retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| Race cancelled (C) | |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Excluded (EX) | |
| Did not arrive (DNA) | |
| Withdrawn (WD) | |
| Did not enter (empty cell) | |
| Annotation | Meaning |
| P | Pole position |
| F | Fastest lap |
| Superscript number |
Points-scoring position in sprint |
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | Grands Prix | Points | WCC | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHR | SAU | AUS | JPN | CHN | MIA | EMI | MON | CAN | ESP | AUT | GBR | HUN | BEL | NED | ITA | AZE | SIN | USA | MXC | SAP | LVG | QAT | ABU | |||||||
| 2024 | Williams Racing | Mercedes-AMG F1 M15 E Performance 1.6 V6 t |
P |  Alex Albon
|
15 | 11 | 11 | Ret | 12 | 18 | Ret | 9 | Ret | 18 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 7 | Ret | 16 | Ret | DNS | Ret | 15 | 11 | 17 | 9th |
 Logan Sargeant
|
20 | 14 | WD | 17 | 17 | Ret | 17 | 15 | Ret | 20 | 19 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 16 | |||||||||||||||
 Franco Colapinto
|
12 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 12 | Ret | 14 | Ret | Ret | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- Basile Davoine (5 February 2024). "Williams F1 présente la livrée 2024 de sa FW46". motorsport.com. Retrieved 24 February 2024..
- Kalinauckas, Alex (29 December 2024). "The "self-fulfilling injury" in Williams's 2024 F1 crash-fest". Autosport.
this was due to the initial iterations of certain chassis components – such as suspension parts – being made from metal instead of lighter carbon-fibre. This was deemed necessary because Williams changed its car build process for the year just gone, which meant parts arrived much later, as it strived to modernise its production system.
- Noble, Jonathan (16 May 2024). "Overweight Williams F1 car costing it 0.45 seconds per lap". Autosport.
"However, the car this year that we've been running is about four and a half tenths a lap slower, every lap, by the fact it is still overweight." Vowles explained that the extra weight was simply a consequence of things having run so close to deadlines over the winter.
- Basile Davoine (24 October 2024). "Yellow returns to the Williams Racing livery". Williams Racing. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
The Williams Racing FW46 driven by Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto in Mexico and Brazil will feature partner Mercado Libre's statement yellow branding on the engine cover – in a nod to the team's Championship-winning heritage. Mercado Libre joined Williams as an Official Partner in August after Franco Colapinto's promotion to an F1 race seat.
- "Williams Racing Report: 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix". Williams Racing. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- "Albon to take over Sargeant's car for remainder of Australia GP weekend after FP1 shunt". formula1.com. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- Kew, Matt (5 April 2024). "Sargeant to race repaired F1 car in Suzuka; no spare Williams until Miami". Autosport.
- "Williams Racing announces that Franco Colapinto will race with the team for the remainder of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season". Williams Racing. 27 August 2024. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- "Colapinto declares points finish 'a dream come true' as Williams celebrate double success in Baku". Formula One. 15 September 2024. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
| « previous Cars that competed in the 2024 Formula One World Championship | |
|---|---|
