Williams F1 halts all 2025 car developments, shifting focus to the FW48 and the upcoming 2026 regulations in a bold strategic move.
Williams F1 appears to be ahead of its competitors in the race to develop the 2026 Formula 1 car. While all teams have already started working on their future cars, which will adhere to a completely new set of chassis and engine regulations, Williams is taking a more focused approach.
The Grove-based team has decided to dedicate all of its resources and development efforts exclusively to the FW48, their 2026 car. Sources confirm that Williams will prioritize future updates for this car, halting further development on the current FW47.
According to the plan, only developments that have already been validated or can be completed without relying on the wind tunnel or CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) will make it onto the FW47 for the current season. All other ongoing projects will be paused as Williams refocuses its efforts on the 2026 challenge, with time and resources under strict limits due to the ATR (Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions).
Currently sitting sixth in the Constructors’ Championship and having scored points in three of the season’s first four races, the team is willing to accept a tougher end to the year to prioritize long-term goals. Team Principal James Vowles explained that convincing the team’s owners and investors to take this approach was not difficult.
“It wasn’t hard. If I needed to, I would have moved the car out of the wind tunnel myself. But I didn’t need to. If you want to win, there’s only one way to do it, and you can’t be caught off guard. That’s why it was a straightforward decision,” Vowles said.
“We’ve been in a tough spot because we’ve been too focused on short-term results over the past 20 years. Sometimes this was driven by financial reasons or other factors, but we can’t just focus on the sport; we need to invest. And to be clear, investment means planning five years ahead to get into the right position.”
“This wasn’t difficult at all because one of the reasons I joined was because we had an honest discussion early on about how much time and investment this will require, and that we can’t be led by short-term goals. We agreed on this from the start.”
Williams F1 is making a bold move, betting on the future to ensure long-term success, and leaving behind the distractions of short-term gains.
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Williams F1 Prioritizes 2026, Halts 2025 Updates Williams F1 Prioritizes 2026, Halts 2025 Updates
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