Williams is experiencing a difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, far below expectations, and James Vowles acknowledged that the team made significant mistakes in the preparation for this year. The team principal stated that the priority now is to correct the identified faults in order to regain competitiveness as the season progresses.
After nine races completed, Williams sits only eighth in the constructors’ standings, with eleven points on the board. The performance marks a substantial drop from the fifth place achieved last season, a result that had raised expectations for the start of the new regulatory cycle.
Speaking during the Goodwood Speed Festival this weekend, Vowles admitted that the team did not manage to get the car’s development right during the off-season period. He said the focus for the second half of the season will be to identify the issues and start a recovery process relative to the competition.
“It’s impossible to say exactly what the second half of the year will look like. The reality is we didn’t get everything right during the break. Our job now is to analyze everything thoroughly and begin to move forward compared with the rest of the grid,” he stated.
The executive explained that Williams will need to correct decisions that, in his assessment, simply didn’t work: “It’s about undoing certain elements that, frankly, were wrong and getting back on the right track. That is the portrait of our second half of the season,” he said.
Vowles also stressed that the team is looking beyond the immediate results: “We know we are not yet at a level to win, and I have always been very clear about that. We will fight for everything possible this year, but the main objective is to fix everything we did wrong for the future,” he added.
The engineer also commented on the opportunity to drive the FW18, the car that helped Damon Hill secure the title in 1996, during the Goodwood Speed Festival. According to him, the experience served as a rare moment of satisfaction amid the challenges the team has faced this season.
“It’s a dream come true. I used to watch that car on television while Damon fought for the championship, so being able to drive it is something special. I can assure you that it’s very fast and a joy to drive. Some moments the work is tough, but experiences like this more than make up for it, no doubt,” concluded Vowles.
Jake Thompson
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