Williams admits falling behind in car development

Jul.5 (GMM) James Vowles admits Williams needs to up its game in the world of Formula 1 car development.

The team he leads is currently in an infrastructural and organisational push to remove itself from the back rows of the grid for the long-term.

But in the meantime, Williams has only 2 points in 2024 – enough only to avoid being dead last in the constructors’ championship, ahead of the points-less Sauber.

Even Alpine is now ahead of Williams.

“They can run their car very low,” explained Alex Albon, “which helps on tracks like Barcelona. They’re not so good over the curbs.”

But the team driver said that to move above the next-best teams like Haas and RB, “We need upgrades”.

“We brought a lot of new parts at the beginning of the year and then took a break,” Albon explained. “For our opponents, it was the other way around. That’s why they’ve pulled ahead.”

The British-born Thai driver admits the 2024 Williams is “easier to drive and more predictable” than its predecessor, but the much more complex chassis has added considerable extra weight that the team is still trying to shed.

“Unfortunately, we’re still not at the limit,” Albon admitted.

As for team boss Vowles, he also acknowledged at Silverstone: “We understand that we are not upgrading the car quickly enough.

“We have several things here, and a number of others will be introduced over the next six races. But in terms of the pace of chassis development, we are behind our rivals and we know it.”