The director of the Formula 1 team Williams, James Vowles, has acknowledged that the planned improvements for the 2026 season will not be enough to achieve consistent point scoring. Since the start of the season, the team has faced significant difficulties, starting with a car that was overweight during the pre-season tests in Bahrain.
So far, Williams has only managed to score 11 points in the 14 races held. Vowles, speaking on the podcast The Fast And The Curious, pointed out that the mistakes made during the car’s initial development will negatively impact them until the end of this year. “It has been a difficult year and it will continue to be,” added the Briton.
Additionally, he explained that the mistakes from the winter phase will have a continued impact: “Many of the problems we suffered during the winter will accompany us until the end of this year. Our goal is to be in a better position for the next season.”
Despite the improvements that will be introduced at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Vowles is clear about the immediate impact these updates will have on the track. “They will be small steps, but they will not get us to the minimum I desire, which is to score points on a weekend.”
Currently, Williams is in ninth place in the constructors’ standings, ahead only of Aston Martin and Cadillac. Vowles remains optimistic about the future: “I believe we will move up the grid next year. It is difficult to go backwards, so, consequently, we will move forward, but it will still be a tough road.”
The next major challenge for Williams will be the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will take place from September 24 to 26 at the Baku circuit.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
