![[Photo Courtesy of Williams]](https://racingnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/170225F1Williams-1024x582.jpg)
by Mark Gero
Recently displaying some photos to the world’s press, Williams Martini Racing showed the rest of the pictures online, as the team officially launched their 2017 challenger, the FW 40, Saturday morning online.
The car had originally been slated as the FW 39, but since it is the 40th anniversary of the Williams Racing Organization, the car was finally agreed it move it up one number to celebrate the anniversary.
The current images of the car are a little different in comparison to what was briefly shown earlier in the week, at the British weekly Autosport, with more emphasis on the slightly revised side pods and air box. Like most cars that have been launched recently, except for the Mercedes, it features a shark fin on the tail. The Italian liquor manufacturer Martini in addition, will sponsor the car for a fourth season.
As for the drivers, it will be a combination of a Canadian Rookie and a returning veteran. Felipe Massa was slated to retire from the sport last year, only to return to the team for one more season, due to Finn Valterri Bottas and his sudden move to Mercedes AMG Petronas to join Lewis Hamilton. Lance Stroll will join Massa in his first season, with lots of backup money from other sponsors. Massa will take the first test run of the car on Monday, when the team debuts the FW 40 in the maiden test run of the season at the Circuit de Catalunya, in Barcelona, Spain.
Mark Gero has written formula one racing stories since 2002 on the Internet for such sites as Motorsport.com, Racing Information Service News and for a brief time at the Munich Eye newspaper in Munich, Germany along with Autoweek online. Mark also has a diploma in journalism from the London School of Journalism in London, England and in addition a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa.