Williams F1’s exemption plea to the FIA was denied, leaving the team grappling with costly accident damages this season.
Williams F1 submitted a request to the FIA for exemptions from the cost cap due to extensive damage caused by accidents, which, according to our information, was rejected.
The Grove-based team faced a challenging season, with millions of dollars in damages resulting from at least 16 major accidents throughout the year, including three on a single day during the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.
The damage to Alex Albon’s car after his qualifying crash was so severe that he was unable to start the race, while teammate Franco Colapinto crashed twice at Interlagos. Following a massive effort to prepare two cars for Las Vegas, the Argentinian driver destroyed another car in a qualifying accident during that Grand Prix.
By the end of the season, Williams had only one spare front wing left for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and post-season testing, although fortunately, no significant incidents occurred at Yas Marina.
The team approached the FIA to seek relief for some of the damages to remain within the cost cap without severely compromising planned factory investments, a strategy envisioned by team principal James Vowles.
However, as most of the major accidents were attributed to “internal” causes rather than racing incidents—blamed on Albon, Colapinto, and, earlier in the season, Logan Sargeant before his departure—the request was denied.
According to Vowles, the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend alone cost the team nearly $4 million in damages.
Teams can defer part of the budget from the cost cap for the following season, but this incurs a financial penalty. As a result, Williams F1 is likely to forego planned winter investments at the Grove factory.
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Cost Cap Blow: Williams Struggles Amid Accident Woes Cost Cap Blow: Williams Struggles Amid Accident Woes
