Williams Team Principal James Vowles announced the team will bring an “almost entirely new car” to the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Grove-based team has had a weak start to the new technical phase of the 2026 season; the FW48 was completed late and overweight. Weight issues and a slow update schedule continue to weigh on the team's performance; Williams is eighth in the constructors' championship with only 11 points, ahead of only Audi, Aston Martin and Cadillac.
There are no updates in Austria, and performance has deteriorated even further.
Vowles stated that at the Austrian GP, Williams offered no improvements while their rivals brought updates, leading to a further setback in their competitive position. The hot weather and track characteristics also exposed the car's weaknesses. Alex Albon finished 17th, two laps behind, while Carlos Sainz was unable to finish due to engine failure. Speaking to Sky Germany, Vowles said, "That's one of the big reasons why you see us falling back a bit.".
Update schedule extending from Silverstone to Baku.
Vowles has outlined a step-by-step update plan for the remainder of the season. A “mid-range” package will be presented for this weekend’s British GP at Silverstone. This will be followed by smaller components at the Belgian GP (Spa) and the Hungarian GP (Budapest). A slightly larger element, including weight reduction work, will be introduced at the Dutch GP (Zandvoort). The real transformation is planned for the Azerbaijan GP at the end of September. “For Baku, it’s almost a completely new car; that’s the timeframe we’ve been waiting for,” Vowles emphasized.
Albon said he didn't expect the British GP update to be a game-changer, but it would help the team start closing the gap to Alpine, Racing Bulls and Haas. “It won’t move us into the midfield, but maybe it will get us a little closer to Haas. It’s a sensible first step for this year. Racing Bulls lapped us today, so the gap is quite big,” Albon said after the Austrian GP. Aston Martin is following a similar strategy; the team plans to postpone minor improvements and prepare a large package for the Hungarian GP at the end of July.