The Spanish Grand Prix hides an unexpected attraction. Williams, far from bringing the physical FW48, has installed projectors in the VIP areas that generate holograms of the car. The absence of the real car is marketed as a luxury product, visible only to those who pay for premium access.
Ghost technology in the main grandstand 👻
The high-definition projectors generate a silhouette of the FW48 that runs a virtual circuit on the real asphalt. The system uses motion sensors and suspended reflective mesh screens. Attendees see the car complete laps, but only from certain angles. Williams claims that the cost of the hologram exceeds that of transporting the real car, thus justifying the price of access.
The car that isn't there, but is seen in the expensive area 💸
Fans in normal grandstands see an empty track. In VIP, the FW48 appears and disappears like a digital ghost. Some attendees comment that the hologram is so real it even seems to have reliability issues. Williams does not confirm whether the virtual car will also suffer pit stop failures, but engineers are already preparing a patch for the next race.