Williams Team Boss Delivers Harsh Truth on 2026 Podium Chances
Williams team principal James Vowles has opened up on the chances of securing a podium finish in 2026, when Formula One enters a new era of regulations. He also commented on the impressive pace of the 2025 FW47 F1 car, but pointed out one drawback that prevents the team from making further progress.
The Williams F1 team has been scoring consistent points this season, a contrast to 2024, when finishing in the top ten felt like a distant dream. The last race in Montreal saw Carlos Sainz finish P10, while his teammate Alex Albon can boast about a commendable P5 finish at Imola.
The Grove outfit has made considerable improvements on the FW47, but Vowles explained that churning out consistent lap times from the car remains a challenge. He told the media ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend:
James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams talks to the media during a press conference prior to F1 75 Live at InterContinental London O2 on February 18, 2025 in London, England.
James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams talks to the media during a press conference prior to F1 75 Live at InterContinental London O2 on February 18, 2025 in London, England."I think what we can see in that first session, the car's quick. It was quick in Montreal as well on Friday, but it's still just really tough to get actually the lap out of it consistently every time, so we could, but it took us a few attempts to get there, so we need to clear that up before we go in further."
With a big reset awaiting F1 in 2026, when cars will be powered by an equal ratio of electric power and internal combustion, Vowles opened up on issues that need to be addressed before the team could make big leaps. But he emphasized that progress is being made. He said:
"We are still today fixing what I think are foundational issues within our organization. They're being fixed. It's not that they're remaining static - there is change afoot.
"But I know what we're fighting against down the road, and it's a giant, and we're not there yet in terms of that capability.
"The reason why I'm answering it this way is, what I could happily do is look you in the eye and say we're not going to go backwards in this championship - we're going to keep progressing forward.
"Whether that ends up with podiums or otherwise is so hard to predict at the moment, because we really are fighting McLaren, who now look as though they've moved into second in the championship.
"Mercedes, who have a number of championships behind them, and their strengths that it's hard to see how we're going to catch quite up to by 2026, because there's still some infrastructure and facilities that really aren't yet where they need to be.
"But - watch this space. It's on the right path."
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