The big reveal!

Launch day is always one of the most exciting of the year, and for me it signifies the real start of the season.

Today (Tuesday) also happens to be the day we’re shaking the car down, so I’ll finally get a first drive and understand a little about how the 2022 car feels.

Unveiling our car to the world is the culmination of a huge amount of work that’s been completed by every team member, on and off track. Now the covers have come off there’s a sense of ‘okay, here it is. Let’s go!’

Today’s shakedown edges us closer to pre-season testing, and the first opportunity for me to properly push the car and see what it’s all about.

At those tests we’ll also understand more about the challenges we’re going to face this season. Make no mistake, the new regulations will come with a whole lot of fresh challenges for each team and driver to get on top of.

When it comes to looks, I reckon we’re off to a flying start. The car looks fantastic. Really fresh. The electric blue and the red look almost fluorescent. That sense of ‘different’ really suits a team that is going through a resurgence. It’s kind of a nod to that, but at the same time, the core navy blue, the colour that’s synonymous with Williams, is there too.

As you’d expect, there’s a growing sense of anticipation and excitement at the factory right now. And there’s a special buzz about this car, which has been made under the guidance and direction of a lot of the new people that have come to the team.

Another newcomer is my team-mate Alex. We’ve already spent time together at the factory bouncing ideas around, discussing last year’s car and what to expect with this year’s.

We quickly got reacquainted, and it now feels like a kind of evolution of when we were F2 team-mates in 2018. Back then we had a great personal and working relationship, and that’s going to be beneficial for all of us.

It’s a big year ahead, and it’s never been more crucial to have two drivers that work well together, push each other on track and give good feedback.

So, up next: shakedown. I hope you like the new car and I’ll be back to share some first impressions with you soon. Thanks, guys.

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