The early verdict on Williams’ big Azerbaijan Grand Prix F1 upgrade package
Williams has offered a first verdict on its new and improved FW48 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
James Vowles has offered his initial assessment on the new upgrade the Williams Formula 1 team has brought to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
After a hugely challenging and underwhelming start to the season having failed to capitalise on F1’s 2026 regulation overhaul and been hampered by an overweight car, Williams has slipped down the competitive order.
Following a fantastic fifth place finish in the 2025 constructors’ championship, Williams currently lies ninth, having managed just 11 points across the opening 14 races, and failed to get on the scoreboard sine the Monaco Grand Prix.
The British squad has pinned its hopes of moving up the midfield on a major upgrade introduced this weekend in Baku, featuring a lighter chassis and revised aerodynamic package.
Speaking after the opening two practices sessions in Azerbaijan on Thursday, Vowles said he believes the updated FW48 represents a “step in the right direction, but not enough”.
“It’s more about building for next year and beyond," Vowles told F1TV. "It’s not where I would ever want it to be, or the drivers want it to be, but it is still fantastic work by the team to really redevelop an entirely new chassis in-season. So, a step in the right direction, but not enough.
“There’s pride, because it’s been a difficult, difficult start to the year and we’re starting to get our head above water. But we’ve got two hungry drivers and a hungry team that want so much more. For them right now, it was, ‘Yep, slightly better. Let’s keep moving.’”
Vowles added: “Whenever you run a new aero package like this, I assure you, right now the engineers will be just in the minutiae of detail — and that’s what they should be doing — but you don’t get it right first time," he said.
"Just even when you position the ride height of the car, the balance of the car, so there’ll be a little bit more to come from that relative to other teams that have that package. Let’s see, but it’s not enough to be far enough ahead to guarantee points.”
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon finished an encouraging 12th and 13th in FP1 in the improved Williams, before ending up 16th and 17th in FP2.
”In general I feel a bit better with the car, and it seems like we are a bit closer to the midfield," Sainz summarised after his first day in the new Williams.
"The laps that I’ve done have been relatively competitive, given how important track time is here, and normally you always feel like you’re playing catch-up.
"For how much catch-up I’m playing, I feel like I’m in a good place now. We need to do the right steps going into tomorrow."
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