Williams still running ‘huge number of projects’ to fix winter errors

Williams is discovering that some Formula 1 mistakes have a long memory.

While rivals have pressed ahead with their 2026 development programmes, the Grove-based outfit is still spending precious time and resources repairing the consequences of decisions made before the season even began.

Team principal James Vowles has now revealed just how extensive that recovery operation has become, with a “huge number of projects” running behind the scenes.

The admission comes after another difficult weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Williams’ lack of performance once again underlined the gap between its ambitions and the reality of its current package.

Rather than attempting to disguise the problem, Vowles offered a remarkably candid assessment of the work taking place at the factory – work designed not simply to extract a little more performance from the current car, but to understand why the team got its development direction wrong in the first place.

Paying the price for winter mistakes

Williams had hoped that its progress in recent seasons would provide the foundations for another step forward in 2026.

Instead, the team has found itself fighting with a car whose shortcomings can be traced back to the winter, leaving Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz to bear the consequences on track.

The situation makes the recent confirmation of both drivers’ futures particularly significant. Albon has committed to Williams through the end of 2027, while Sainz has signed a multi-year extension, putting an end to speculation that either driver might look elsewhere.

For Vowles, securing that commitment represents far more than simply locking down the driver line-up.

"As you saw, we announced both driver contracts last week, and it's hard to put into words what it means to the organisation when that happens," he said.

"But it's a monumental change. We have made mistakes this winter, which we're still paying for today, and the drivers are paying for on the car that we've delivered on track.

"What was great is when we started to show the future that's beyond here, one that's more around the long term, their commitment came to the forefront. And that's really important to me.

“It's important to the team. It's important to everyone because ultimately we're here and we know we have a pathway to go, but we're here fighting as a team."

That final point is crucial. Williams may be struggling in the present, but Vowles clearly believes the team's longer-term direction is sufficiently convincing to persuade its two drivers to stay aboard while the painful rebuilding process continues.

A factory full of unfinished business

The immediate temptation in Formula 1 is always to chase the next upgrade and hope it provides an instant answer.

Williams, however, is attempting something more fundamental: identifying the errors that set its 2026 programme on the wrong course and ensuring they are not repeated.

That means the team's recovery is not confined to a handful of new parts for the FW48. Vowles says a substantial amount of work is underway away from the spotlight, with the emphasis firmly on correcting the underlying processes and decisions that produced the current predicament.

"We have huge numbers of projects, though, in the background to make sure that we're just digging out what went wrong this winter and fixing for the long term," Vowles added. "And that's our commitment today as it will be in six months' time."

• Read also: Sainz ‘never considered’ leaving Williams - denies Audi talks

It is a sobering picture for a team that currently languishes ninth in the constructors' championship with just 11 points.

Some developments will still reach the car later this season, but Vowles' comments suggest Williams' real battle is taking place inside the factory.

The objective is not merely to rescue a difficult 2026 campaign, but to make sure that the lessons from it are embedded deeply enough to prevent another winter of costly mistakes.

For now, Williams is paying the bill for decisions made months ago. Vowles' message is that the team is determined to make sure it does not have to pay it twice.

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