Williams has changed its approach after difficult 2026 start, says Vowles

James Vowles is confident Williams can avoid a repeat of the problems that put the team on the back foot at the start of the 2026 season. He points to changes in software systems and working methods, and says the chassis already in place will carry over into 2027, reducing the workload as the team prepares for that season.

Williams missed the Barcelona pre-season shakedown as Formula 1 switched to new technical regulations for 2026, and the FW48 was initially 28kg overweight. It took more than six months to reach the minimum weight; the team introduced a new chassis at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in late September. After finishing fifth in the 2025 constructors’ championship, Williams was ninth with 12 points on 7 October 2026. Vowles said he took responsibility for the mistakes made over the winter.

Vowles also singled out Piers Thynne as a major help with the changes. Thynne joined Williams in August after nearly two decades at McLaren, where he became chief operating officer in 2023.

Vowles said Williams had not added enough aerodynamic performance in 2026 because its cost-cap spending was focused on getting elements needed for 2027 right, at the expense of current-season development. He said the team had left considerable performance in the wind tunnel. The Azerbaijan upgrade, he said, was directionally right but came too late in the season. Williams believes its wind-tunnel and systems development is going well, Vowles added, but the team will not know how that work has translated until the first race of 2027.