Williams team principal James Vowles is under increasing scrutiny following the team’s performance during the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Grove-based outfit currently occupies ninth position in the Constructors’ Championship with 11 points as the sport enters its summer break.
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has openly questioned Vowles’ future, offering a pessimistic assessment of the situation. Steiner’s remarks came after Williams’ disappointing showing at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26.
Williams entered the 2026 season with high expectations, aiming to build on a strong 2025 campaign where they finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with two podium finishes. The introduction of new regulations was intended to facilitate further progress.
However, the team has struggled significantly. Williams missed the first week of pre-season testing, and the FW48 car was initially both overweight and off the pace. This has resulted in a lack of progress despite efforts to reduce the car’s weight.
Steiner, speaking on ‘The Red Flags Podcast’, made a sarcastic comment regarding Vowles’ workload. He suggested Vowles needed more time to ‘read all his emails’ from the start of the year.
‘As much as I think he’s not doing a good job, I think you need to at least give him time to read all his emails, which he got at the beginning of the year,’ Steiner joked. ‘He knows what to do. He just didn’t have time to read them. So, let him read his emails. Find a solution by the end of the year. If he hasn’t got to all the emails by the end of the year, then let him go.’
Steiner further stated that if the team’s performance trajectory continues into the 2027 season, changes could occur within the first five or six races. He believes Williams is currently ‘going backwards instead of forwards’.
The team’s drivers, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, have expressed frustration with the FW48’s performance. Sainz, who joined Williams after his departure from Ferrari, achieved his best results in 2025. There are reports that Sainz is exploring alternative options for future seasons.
Williams currently holds 11 points in the Constructors’ standings, with Sainz contributing 6 points and Albon 5 points. They are ahead of Aston Martin, who have 1 point, and narrowly beating Cadillac.
Vowles has acknowledged the team’s difficulties and the car’s overweight status. He confirmed that significant upgrades for the FW48 are planned to be introduced after the summer break, with a ‘major change’ anticipated around the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September.
However, Vowles has also tempered expectations, indicating that the Baku upgrades will not be a singular solution. He stressed that the recovery process will be a ‘heavily phased approach’ due to the constraints of the F1 cost cap.
The team’s struggles include missing pre-season shakedowns and frequently failing to progress beyond Q1 in qualifying sessions. Issues with chassis balance and inconsistencies between left and right cornering have also been identified.
