Vowles admits Williams still paying for winter mistakes as team launches overhaul ahead of 2026

Williams team principal James Vowles has admitted the team is still suffering the consequences of development mistakes made last winter, revealing that a “huge number of projects” are underway at the Grove factory to fix the underlying problems affecting the 2026 car.

Speaking in his post-Dutch Grand Prix debrief, Vowles was candid about the scale of the challenge facing the team, which currently sits ninth in the constructors’ championship with just 11 points.

“We have made mistakes this winter, which we’re still paying for today, and the drivers are paying for on the car that we’ve delivered on track,” Vowles said. “We have huge numbers of projects in the background to make sure that we’re just digging out what went wrong this winter and fixing for the long term. And that’s our commitment today as it will be in six months’ time.”

The debrief followed a difficult weekend at Zandvoort, though Vowles struck a more optimistic tone when discussing the team’s longer-term direction — a mood he linked directly to the recent confirmation of both drivers’ futures at the team.

Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, both Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz signed contract extensions with Williams. Albon agreed a one-year deal that keeps him at the team through the end of 2027, while Sainz committed to a multi-year extension, ending speculation over the driver line-up.

“It’s hard to put into words what it means to the organisation when that happens,” Vowles said of the signings. “But it’s a monumental change. What was great is when we started to show the future that’s beyond here, one that’s more around the long term, their commitment came to the forefront. And that’s really important to me.”

Vowles indicated that some new car components are expected to arrive later in the season, but emphasised that the factory’s primary focus remains on structural, long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes. The team is actively restructuring its development processes to prevent a repeat of the errors that have compromised its competitiveness this year.