Williams F1 car launch 2026: Date, start time and watch the big reveal LIVE – GPFans
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Williams – the only team not to be present at the first pre-season testing event of the year last week – are finally set to unveil their 2026 F1 car on Tuesday February 3.
The Grove-based outfit opted not to head to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last week, with the FW48 not yet ready to take to the track.
Team principal James Vowles revealed that it hadn’t passed a couple of tests that it needed to, and rather than rushing it through, the team opted to wait until Bahrain pre-season testing for their first official test of the season.
That takes place between February 11-13, before another three-day event in Bahrain between February 18-20, meaning Williams still have six full days available to them.
Now, following a brief pause in the car launch ceremonies in order to make way for the Barcelona shakedown, Williams are set to become the latest team to unveil their challenger in a virtual event.
Vowles, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz are expected to talk at the season launch event, where there will be a discussion with the Williams F1 stars about the new regulations and their hopes for the 2026 season.
READ MORE: The 2026 F1 grid, ranked entirely on vibes
The event takes place on Tuesday, February 3 via a virtual link at 2:00pm GMT (3:00pm CET, 9am ET, 6am PT, 8am CT).
How to watch Williams season launch live
The live stream will be available on this page once it goes live so you can catch all the action right here on GPFans!
Alternatively, the launch event will also be broadcast on WilliamsF1.com, the Williams app as well as via their social media channels.
When does the 2026 F1 season start?
The 2026 season gets underway at the beginning of March at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
The first two practice sessions that weekend take place on March 6, before the grand prix kicks off on Sunday, March 8.
When are the 2026 F1 car launches?
| Team | Location | Date | How to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull | Detroit, USA | January 15 | Red Bull Racing website, YouTube |
| Racing Bulls | Detroit, USA | January 15 | Red Bull Racing website, YouTube |
| Haas | Online | January 19 | Haas F1 website and social pages |
| Audi | Berlin, Germany | January 20 | YouTube, Audi social channels |
| Ferrari | Maranello, Italy | January 23 | YouTube, Ferrari social media pages |
| Alpine | Barcelona, Spain | January 23 | YouTube, Alpine social media pages |
| Mercedes | Online | February 2 | Mercedes social channels |
| Williams | Grove | February 3 | TBC |
| Cadillac | Santa Clara, USA | February 8 | Cadillac F1 website, YouTube |
| Aston Martin | TBC | February 9 | TBC |
| McLaren | Bahrain and Online | February 9 | TBC |
F1 TESTING 2026: Key dates, times and how to watch live
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