Williams F1 Adapts Structure to Echo Top Rivals

James Vowles outlines a strategic team division, aligning Williams F1 closer to leading teams like Red Bull and Mercedes.

James Vowles, the Williams F1 Team Principal, reveals his decision to divide the team into several groups to tackle various projects, as teams prepare for a significant regulatory change in 2026. This approach mirrors that of the top teams.

“In our team, we have segmented the team based on additional resources,” Vowles stated. “We have team members focusing on 2024, 2025, 2026, and even a bit on 2027 at the same time. This is a shift for Williams; we were more accustomed to working one year in advance or even on the current year.”

“As you can imagine, when you do this within an organisation, it takes time to adapt and grow. Mercedes does it, I guarantee Red Bull does it. For us, it represents a significant shift from what we have experienced so far.”

The 2026 regulations are already being prepared internally: “With all this in mind, I have the privilege of seeing the figures for 2026 and what we are doing. The direction of development for 2026, the growth of the process for 2026, the infrastructure changes that are occurring, and other elements that are also coming into play.”

A Significant Evolution Later in the Season

Vowles also explains that Williams will introduce a significant evolution later this season: “We have developments coming during the summer break – I hope at Zandvoort and hopefully again at Baku or the race following Baku, namely Singapore.”

“What I can tell you is that there are significant figures that should allow us to return to a position of fighting for points. There are aerodynamic developments, a suspension update, and a reduction in the weight of the car. So, these are fundamentally the three main areas, regardless of where we find ourselves.”

“In the world of Formula 1, these are big steps, but my hesitation is that you’ve seen RB remove an update after introducing it, and Mercedes did the same. Normally, you don’t see that; teams have confidence in what they are doing.”

Vowles explains that Williams does not want to sacrifice 2025, and is already working on next season: “We are also investing for 2025, and our car in the wind tunnel is not the 2024 one but the 2025 model for several months now.”

“The reason we are doing this is not because I believe in 2025, but because I want the 2026 car in the wind tunnel as soon as possible, while having a reasonable 2025 season. Everything we are doing is essentially borrowing in advance to make everything go as quickly as possible in 2026.”