After a challenging start to the season, Williams Racing has finally found its footing, securing its first double points finish of the year at the Miami Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz claimed P9, with Alex Albon following closely in P10, marking a significant turning point for the team.

A 'Messy' Winter Preparation

Despite high expectations following a strategic shift to focus on the 2026 regulations, Team Principal James Vowles admitted that the preparation for the current season was far from seamless. Vowles described the winter as "messy," citing the difficulty of integrating new systems and procedures to develop a complex car from the ground up.

"It's tiny, small details but hundreds of them that add up," Vowles explained during the Team Principals' press conference. "It's inefficiencies across the board that weren't taken into account and only came to light once you start stressing the system."

Overcoming Technical Hurdles

The FW48 proved to be one of the most complex designs the team has attempted, with Vowles noting that parts were one-and-a-half to two times more complex than previous iterations. This complexity, coupled with difficulties during crash tests, led to several setbacks, including missing the initial shakedown in January.

These failures forced the team to add weight to ensure part integrity, leading to a general consensus in the paddock that the Williams car is one of the heaviest on the grid. Vowles acknowledged that while adding weight was a quick fix, removing it is a slow process constrained by the budget cap.

"I don't want to just make exactly the same front wing but several kilos lighter, that doesn't make any sense to anyone so you've got to body that in to an aerodynamic update at the same time," Vowles stated.

Looking Ahead

The double points finish in Miami was aided by new upgrades, including a new floor that helped shed several kilograms of excess weight. Vowles emphasized that the team is now balancing the need for aerodynamic performance with critical weight reduction to bring the FW48 back to its full potential.