F1 news: Fans stunned as Williams DITCH long-standing tradition

Blank Car Livery Launch, Social — Photo: © IMAGO

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'End of an era' - F1 fans stunned as team DITCH long-standing tradition

The team have opted for a different route in 2024

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 23 February 2024 22:57

Williams have decided to get rid of the chassis-mounted dash that has been in place since the start of the hybrid era in 2014.

The team have instead opted to have a digital dash built into their steering wheel, bringing them into line with the other nine teams on the grid.

Williams were the last Formula 1 outfit to fully unveil their 2024 car, waiting until just a day before the start of pre-season testing, when the car had its first shakedown.

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Although testing has seen great reliability from all teams up and down the grid, the Grove-based squad have arguably had the most reliability problems, perhaps due to the late launch of the full car design.

Despite this, expectations are high having made great progress in 2023, and the team know that they will need to continue their march up the constructors' standings if they have any chance of keeping hold of star driver Alex Albon.

Williams' FW46 has been on track this week in pre-season testing

Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon are hoping to continue the team's impressive climb up the constructors' standings

F1 Twitter reacts to Williams parting ways with tradition

Now, Williams have taken to X (formerly known as Twitter) to show off their new steering wheel design, which represents somewhat of a change from previous years.

Goodbye chassis-mounted dash, you were a real one 🫡 pic.twitter.com/wBZqZccIgg
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) February 23, 2024

Introducing our brand new steering wheel for the 2024 season and beyond! 😍 pic.twitter.com/AI0EdgjK1L
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) February 23, 2024

Fans were dismayed to find out that the chassis-mounted dash screen design had been abandoned, with Williams being the last team on the grid to still have this design in 2023.

Some were suggesting that the originality of Williams' car had now been lost, with others simply reminiscing on F1 days gone by.

End of an Era, 2014-2023
— Sir Honse (@Poochihead) February 23, 2024

Why!?it was damn cool and different
— Vic (@vic_cupra) February 23, 2024

😭 thanks for keeping it alive for so long 🫡
— S • ✰✰✰ (@StormyMv33) February 23, 2024

sent it to a lovely farm upstate where all the other millennial steering wheels frolic in the fields of F1's past
— claire angelique (@claireangelique) February 23, 2024

It’s not to late to #bringBackTheOldSteeringWheel
— A Moose (@amoose4you) February 23, 2024

That's the end of an era... Things have changed a great deal.
— LukasLE (@zwamnieklak) February 23, 2024

Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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Mercedes Formula 1 Williams pre-season testing