The FC-017 is based on the Williams JPH1B FIA Formula Two car, which featured a sophisticated carbon composite chassis and a 1.8-litre turbocharged Audi engine that produced 425bhp. However, the GPVWC announced some major changes to the technical regulations for the 2017 Formula Challenge season. For example, the series switched from turbocharged 4-cylinder engines to naturally aspirated V6 engines. Setup options were also simplified, placing a greater emphasis on driver skill. Furthermore, the wet tyre compounds received an adjustment to grip levels and the low downforce package was removed, leaving a single wing package available for use.

In preseason testing, the team used the iconic staX-Wing livery and on March 4th 2017, they unveiled their first livery in a GPVWC Career Ladder series. The original  announcement post read as follows:

“After a succesful first year as a simracing team, our motto for this year is to “March Forth”. That’s why we thought it would be very fitting to unveil our first car in a GPVWC Career Ladder Series today, on March 4th.

We always want our cars to stand out on the grid and, with a striking colour combination, we are convinced our FC-017 will do just that. We decided to showcase the SimNews.TV​ logos prominently on the car since we want to support their great work. Also new on the car is a Cane and Rinse logo. If you are interested in in-depth discussions of classic and contemporary video games, we encourage you to give them a listen.“

The livery was designed by Gerdoner Designs.