The Williams Formula 1 team is facing backlash after unveiling a special throwback livery for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, with critics questioning the timing because of the design's historical ties to Saudi Arabian sponsors, including a car that once carried the name of Osama bin Laden's father.
Williams is running a tribute to its FW07C, the car it last raced in the Spanish capital with, at the Circuito de Jarama in 1981. The revival marks the team's return to Madrid and coincides with Carlos Sainz's home race.
The 1981 FW07C, in white, green and navy blue, won that year's Constructors' Championship with Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann driving. Williams said the new livery draws on that colour scheme to show how, in its words, its history compounds into progress.
That earlier era of the team carried its own complications. Williams was heavily backed by Saudi Arabian firms following a business trip to the Middle East, with Saudia Airlines as its main sponsor. In 1979, the Williams car also carried the name Bin Laden, after Mohamed bin Laden, father of Osama bin Laden, gave financial backing through his construction company.
Williams' statement
Announcing the livery, the team said: "Drawing on the striking white, green, and navy blue of the Constructors' Championship-winning 1981 design, the livery showcases how our history compounds into progress.
"Each generation learns from the knowledge, methods and hard-won lessons of the last. From the engineers who developed the FW07C to the teammates preparing the FW48, the same spirit of innovation, precision and teamwork continues to shape Williams."
The team added that it was "a leading force in 1981" when Jones and Reutemann raced at Jarama, and that this week it returns to the Spanish capital with "hometown hero Carlos Sainz inspiring a new generation of fans at the brand-new Madring circuit."
Buxton's criticism
The timing was questioned by Formula 1 pundit Will Buxton, known for his role in Netflix's Drive to Survive and now based in the United States, where he covers IndyCar for FOX. Buxton raised the issue despite the new livery being modelled on the 1981 car rather than the 1979 version linked to the Bin Laden name.
Speaking on his Up To Speed podcast, Buxton said: "I love a throwback livery. I'm not convinced the timing of it is wise. In 1979, Williams was sponsored by the Bin Laden family, the father of Osama."
He continued: "It was a huge family and I think Osama had sort of been kicked out of the family at the time, but still Osama bin Laden's father and [the car] carried Bin Laden name on the side. And so that colour scheme has an association with the family that was ultimately, through Osama bin Laden, responsible for 9/11. And this weekend marks 25 years since 9/11."
The attacks on September 11, 2001, carried out by al-Qaeda under Osama bin Laden's leadership, killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States and remain one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history.
Buxton added: "It is a very delicate moment of world history and an incredibly impactful [one]. Any other weekend, you'd be like, 'Oh, that's pretty cool.' This weekend, I think, you know, there's a focus group that's failed to focus really on that. People will make that link and they will make that association."
Fan reaction
The comments split opinion among fans. One wrote: "As an American who was 11 when this happened, I don't think the actions of one individual shouldn't reflect the rest of the family. I love this Williams livery since they're my team."
Another said: "This would've been an interesting video to make months later, but this is a stretch," while a third called the criticism "nonsense," adding that "turning a historic Williams livery and its Saudi connection into a reference to 9/11 is an unfair and offensive distortion of what the team is actually commemorating."
Others sided with Buxton. One fan wrote: "Slightly poor timing.... Did no one around the table say 'hmm, maybe not this weekend boss...'" Another said simply: "Probably not the best weekend to run this livery."
A further comment read: "1. Great throwback livery of a beautiful car! 2. The weekend of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is the worst possible time to run this livery," while another added: "Run it any other weekend and it removes anyone bringing this up."
Team's response
For Williams, one of only a handful of teams to have previously raced in Madrid, the livery was intended to celebrate its championship-winning heritage and its return to the Spanish capital.
Team Principal James Vowles said as the car was unveiled: "Our mission to get back to the front of the grid is drawn from, inspired by and informed by everything we've done before."
"I am incredibly proud to celebrate that through Atlassian's special livery, connecting the team we were at Jarama with the team we are becoming today through focused collaboration, improved technological innovation and real creativity. The car looks fantastic, and I cannot wait to see it lapping around Madrid."
Sainz drives for the Atlassian Williams team, which holds its title sponsorship, and will race the special livery on home soil at Madrid's new Madring circuit this weekend.
