Williams Remain Optimistic Despite Mid-season Slump

Williams experienced a difficult afternoon in Britain, only managing 8th place in a race with several retirements further up the field.

This lacklustre final result was consistent with Williams’ pace throughout the weekend, which was less than inspiring.

To a large extent, the British GP represented a continuation of a trend that first began after the Miami GP.

Other teams have brought crucial upgrades during the European leg of the calendar – eating away at the advantage James Vowles’ personnel once enjoyed.

There is very little margin for error at Williams, who have failed to impress at circuits (Canada, Silverstone) that should be well-suited to the FW47.

Speaking after last weekend’s race, James Vowles explained the team’s main obstacles:

“We didn’t expect it to stay as wet for that duration. The car was set up more for a dry race and you could see that.

“In Inter conditions and even when it was drying, we were poor…

“Now we go to Spa, where we’ve got an update coming that should give us a bit of an edge and help us fight back in that very tight midfield battle.

“Spa, like Silverstone, has tended to suit our car in the past, so let’s reset and come back fighting. We have the pace to score points from here to the end of the year.”

Williams must compensate for losing early-season advantage

It is no secret that Williams are focusing on 2026 and the new regulations. If anything, the British squad were the first team to explicitly commit themselves to next year’s cars.

This approach is certainly logical, and has been matched – albeit to a lesser extent – by other teams.

At the beginning of the year, it seemed as though Williams had managed to hit two birds with one stone. The FW47 was often ‘best of the rest’, allowing the team so secure strong results whilst still prioritising the regulation changes.

Unfortunately for the British squad, this is no longer the case.

Radical improvements from Sauber, in addition to more moderate gains by Aston Martin and VCARB, have jeopardised their position.

On paper, Williams are happy to accept this short-term difficulty in exchange for better prospects in 2026.

At the same time, James Vowles still believes his drivers will have the machinery to secure strong results in what remains of the season.