Williams FW38
The Williams FW38 is a Formula One car built by Williams for the 2016 season. It was driven by Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. The car features a carbon-fibre chassis with an aluminium honeycomb structure, a Mercedes 1.6 L turbocharged V6 hybrid engine with a hybrid energy system, and an 8-speed semi-automatic gearbox. It uses Pirelli tyres and AP Racing carbon-ceramic brakes.
In the first half of 2016, Massa and Bottas scored points and showed Williams could compete. However, upgrades were limited, and the team could not keep up with rivals like Ferrari, Force India and Red Bull, dropping to 4th in the constructors’ standings.
The FW38 produced two standout speed moments: in qualifying at the European Grand Prix, it recorded the highest speed ever seen in an official F1 session, 378 km/h (235 mph); and in the Mexican Grand Prix it registered the second-fastest top speed in a race, 372.5 km/h (231.5 mph).
In May, Williams tested a radical rear wing design with side winglets. The car ran Martini livery for most of the year, but in Abu Dhabi the red Martini stripes could not be used due to alcohol laws, so a blue version was used. At the Brazilian Grand Prix Massa’s name appeared on the engine cover and rear wing instead of Martini logos.
The FW38 debuted at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix and last raced at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:30 (CET).