The Williams FW33 was a Formula One racing car developed by Williams F1 for the 2011 Formula One season. It was driven by Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello and 2010 GP2 Series champion and rookie Pastor Maldonado.

The car was shaken down at Silverstone on 28 January 2011 and made its full on-track debut at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, on 1 February 2011 in an interim testing livery. The definitive livery, unveiled on 24 February, added white, silver, and red to the existing dark blue, drawing direct inspiration from the Rothmans liveryused from 1994 to 1997.

Over the season, it became evident that the FW33 was significantly less competitive than its predecessor, the FW32, struggling with pace and race performance. Both drivers retired from the first two races, and while they finished the next three, they failed to score any points—marking Williams' worst-ever start to a season.

The team's fortunes improved in Monaco, where Barrichello finished 9th. A double-points finish seemed likely, but Maldonado retired after a collision with Lewis Hamilton, though he was classified 18th for completing over 90% of the race. A similar result followed at the chaotic 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, where Barrichello again finished 9th, while Maldonado spun off and retired.

No further points were scored until Spa, where Maldonado finished 10th, earning his first F1 point. This turned out to be the FW33’s final point, with Williams finishing the season ninth in the World Constructors' Championship with just five points—the team's worst performance since its inaugural season in 1978.

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Article and Photography by Officina Caira.