(Motorsport-Total.com) – At the start of the season in Australia, it was hardly foreseeable that Williams would quickly recover. The performance was simply not competitive – also because the FW48 is far too heavy. But in the last three races, points have regularly been scored. In Monaco, Alexander Albon even drove to a strong 8th place, collecting the biggest points haul for the British team so far.
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The upturn also pleases team principal James Vowles. He is proud of “how we have developed after a very difficult start to the season, right through to Miami, Montreal and Monaco”. The Williams has developed “from a car that was eliminated in Q1 to a car that is now scoring points in all these races”. While they made setbacks during the winter, Vowles is particularly proud “that the world can see that Williams has changed”.
A few years ago, Williams would probably have been stuck at the back of the field. “And now we have the ability to bring performance to the car very quickly,” the team principal continued. But to do better work next winter, the development focus is already shifting to 2027.
Development for 2026 already completed – only the parts are still missing
Because the weight problem has now been fully addressed by the engineers. “Now we just have to produce it,” says the Williams team principal. This goes hand in hand with the aerodynamic work for 2026. This too has largely been completed from an engineering perspective. Nevertheless, Vowles promises that the issue of weight “will actually bring a lot of performance by the end of the year”. “More than anyone will find through aerodynamic packages,” the Briton is sure.
Carlos Sainz also hopes “that we can contest the last third of the season without this handicap”. However, the weight-loss program also mercilessly reveals where Williams “really stands in terms of aerodynamics and mechanical performance”.
At Williams, development is now primarily about the future. The majority of the team is now working on the aerodynamic developments for the 2027 car. And so the heavy Williams may still have an advantage over the other teams, because it can shed weight and thus generate “free lap time”, according to Vowles.
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Williams also plans with Albon and Sainz in the future
Williams is taking the risk of focusing early on the coming year. This opens up “an opportunity” for the traditional racing team, “while others may not want to take this risk so early”.
The two drivers are naturally also part of the future considerations. Vowles expects continuity here, and Sainz and Albon also seem to remain interested in the “Williams back to old strength” project. “At the moment, Carlos and Alex want to spend their future here. They told me that, and they also said it publicly at the same time.”
The Williams Story
The 46-year-old is, of course, aware of the fast pace of personnel changes in Formula 1. “We are still at a point in the transfer market where all teams – should a cockpit at Mercedes become available tomorrow – would be foolish not to check what options they have.”
However, with the setback in winter and the overweight FW48, Vowles also sees himself as having a certain obligation. “My job is to show them how we will correct this quickly.” He wants to offer the two drivers an environment “in which they can fight for podiums again and for more in the future, as we did last year”. (The current World Championship standings in the Constructors’ Championship)
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