Williams plan a year of 50th anniversary celebrations

LONDON, Oct 15 - The Williams Formula One team revealed plans on Thursday for a year-long celebration of their half a century in the sport in 2027.

Williams, along with Ferrari and McLaren, will be one of only three teams to have reached 50 years of continuous racing at the pinnacle of motorsport. The team won nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles between 1980 and 1997.

Founded by Frank Williams and Patrick Head in 1977, the team was family-owned until 2020 when they were bought by US-based private investment firm Dorilton Capital.

• A ticketed 'W50 Live' event open to the public in London from February 11-28 will feature championship-winning cars and the team's story over five decades.

• Williams' 2027 car, which would normally have been the FW49 in the sequence and will be driven by Spaniard Carlos Sainz and Thai Alex Albon, will be named the FW50 to celebrate the milestone.

• Fans will get to choose a special livery for the team's home British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a track where Williams took their first win in 1979 with Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni and also celebrated a 100th race win in 1997 with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve.

• Special merchandise will include a W50 Monopoly board game set. REUTERS