Williams F1 boss James Vowles sees 2026 regulations as a unique chance to fix technical flaws and reset long-term performance strategy.
James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams F1, is pleased with the remarkable progress his team has made this year, with a fifth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship appearing to be an attainable goal. However, the Briton tempers this progress by noting that things haven’t been perfect on the technical side.
“I’m proud of the progress the team has made, and it’s clear that having two world-class drivers helps a great deal,” Vowles told the media. “We’ve developed the car, and it’s come to life.”
“We’ve made a few minor mechanical upgrades, so it’s a good step in the right direction, but we haven’t eliminated all the problematic elements within our car.”
The switch to the 2026 program was brought forward, and Vowles explains that it allows for changes that weren’t successfully made this past winter: “It would be difficult, that’s the reality, and we’ve been very open about the fact that the 2026 car was in the wind tunnel very early.”
“The 2026 project is going well—we had to go down this path because we’re in a different position, perhaps compared to most others, where this clean slate—we’re carrying over nothing at all—gives us the chance to reset everything.”
“We can fix certain things that maybe should have been done a few years ago, but it’s very difficult to do that within this cycle; that’s the logic we followed.”