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Less than twelve months ago, Williams were enjoying one of their best seasons in recent memory – with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon doing enough to secure 5th place in the Constructors Championship. The 2026 regulations have shown how quickly things can change, with Williams currently 9th in the team standings. More concerningly, recent updates from Aston Martin put the British squad at risk of falling further down the order. As it stands, only rookie team Cadillac have produced a slower car than the FW47. This has seen growing scrutiny on team principal James Vowles, who has outlined the timeline for a recovery. Vowles outlines Williams vulnerabilities Until recently, the narrative surrounding James Vowles has been exceptionally positive. The former Mercedes Chief Strategist was correctly praised for turning around the fortunes at Williams. With two podiums and 137 points, last season saw Williams reach heights they hadn’t seen for almost a decade. Despite this, James Vowles made abundantly clear that his focus was ensuring the best possible start to the 2026 regulations. This means that Williams’ lack of performance this year has become a huge talking point, particularly after Aston Martin’s recent resurgence. Speaking after the Hungarian GP, Vowles explained the team have started looking towards next season: “That’s already happening to a certain extent [focusing on 2027]. “But what I want to make sure we do is bottom out all of the issues with this year’s car. Part of it is, we’re not developing at the right rate. “Part of it is, we have some balance and characteristic issues. Part of it is, some mistakes in the wind tunnel we need to make sure – that never make it to track – are fixed behind the scenes. “We’re in a strange position, where we got very exposed this winter. “We have many many years where we haven’t been able to build up our facilities to the level it needs to be. And what the cost cap does, is it constrains you. “So we are dedicating a lot of resources to making sure we fix those problems behind the scenes, rather than bringing performance to the car in the current year. “Clearly this winter showed we have a long way to go. There’s a lot more we need to address and fix. And that’s not the work of moments, that’s not the work of one month or two months – it will take time to get better. “Our commitment to you, is we will. We are on this journey to make sure we continue stepping forward. “Last year, what we demonstrated is in a consistent rule set when there aren’t as many variables to deal with – we can perform reasonably well. “What we now need to get back to, is when the world is changing dynamically around you, that we can still do a similar level and quality of work.” An awkward position The introduction of new manufacturers like Audi (including Red Bull’s transition into an engine manufacturer) has increased the number of big-hitters on the grid. Although there is a clearly defined ‘top four’, there are a growing number of midfield teams with the resources and ambitions to climb the field. In this context, Williams must close the gap to established top front-runners whilst also ensuring they aren’t out-developed by up-and-coming midfield outfits. By James Vowles’ own admission, climbing the field won’t be easy. At the halfway point of 2026, Williams are up to a second behind the fastest midfield teams – let alone the big names like Mercedes and McLaren. Moreover, since the regulations are stable in 2027, any improvements that teams find over the next few months will carry over into next season. Given that Williams aren’t expecting major improvements for the rest of 2026, their deficit to the rest of the field could increase before 2027. In the background, this downturn in performance has led to increased speculation surrounding both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon’s future. For now, the focus at the Grove factory is to ensure some of the biggest limitations on the FW47 are eliminated for next year’s package. From here, the extent to which Williams can out-develop the rest of the field will be again be tested.