The pressure on James Vowles at Williams might increase, as pointed out by Guenther Steiner, former principal of the Haas Formula 1 team. Steiner provided a strong assessment of the current situation of the Grove outfit, while also referencing the difficulties they have faced recently.
After the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Williams continued to struggle to maintain a competitive pace, Steiner did not hold back on criticism. He stated that, in his opinion, the team is “going backwards”. Furthermore, he said in an appearance on the podcast The Red Flags that Vowles needs time to review his work and find solutions.
Steiner added that “if things continue like this, after five or six races next year, there will be changes”. Thus, he indicated that so far he should have enough time to manage his duties and improve the team’s performance.
Currently, Williams sits in ninth place in the constructors’ championship with only 11 points, while Aston Martin, which introduced significant updates at the Hungarian Grand Prix, follows in tenth place with one point. Steiner speculated that, in the long run, Aston Martin has a better chance of accumulating more points.
James Vowles took on the role of team principal at Williams in 2023, aiming to turn the team around after several difficult seasons. Although in his first season Williams finished in seventh place, with new regulations such as those introduced for 2026, the team has shown signs of weakness again, with their performance in decline.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
