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Williams will bring an "almost completely new car" to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September, team principal James Vowles has confirmed. The Grove-based outfit has struggled through the opening eight races with just 11 points, sliding backwards in the midfield battle while rivals bring development to track. Vowles told Sky Sports Deutschland that smaller updates are coming at Silverstone next weekend, but the real transformation is scheduled for Baku as Williams attempts to reverse a slide that has left them eighth in the constructors' standings.
The admission marks a significant shift in strategy for a team that showed genuine promise last season but has failed to carry that momentum into 2025. Williams sits well adrift of the midfield pack, and driver Alex Albon has been candid about the gap to rivals. Speaking to international media, Albon said the Silverstone upgrade will not vault them into midfield contention but may close the gap to Haas. "I think that's maybe a sensible first step this year to get a bit closer to the midfield cars," Albon said. "I think today we were lapped by the Racing Bulls, so we're quite far off."
Vowles explains the upgrade timeline
Vowles outlined a staggered development programme that prioritises substance over speed. "I think that's one of the big reasons you've seen us fall back a bit," he said, referring to the FW48's lack of competitiveness. "Our upgrade plans: we have what I call medium-sized for Silverstone, so in just one week." He added that small components will follow for Spa and Budapest, with larger updates including weight reduction arriving at Zandvoort. The Baku package represents the culmination of months of wind tunnel and CFD work, effectively replacing most of the car's aerodynamic surfaces.
The approach mirrors Aston Martin's strategy. Lawrence Stroll's team has also withheld upgrades, opting to debut a comprehensive package at the Hungarian Grand Prix rather than drip-feed incremental gains. Both teams are betting that a concentrated development push will yield more performance than piecemeal updates, though the risk is falling further behind if the package underdelivers.
Albon sets modest expectations for Silverstone
Albon, who has shouldered the bulk of Williams' point-scoring in 2025, was measured in his assessment of the Silverstone upgrade. "It won't bring us into the midfield, but it might bring us closer to Haas," he said. The Thai-British driver has been a lone bright spot for Williams, consistently extracting more from the FW48 than its pace suggests, but he acknowledged the scale of the deficit. Being lapped by Racing Bulls, a team Williams finished ahead of last season, underscores how far the Grove squad has slipped.
High stakes for Williams' development gamble
Williams' decision to delay major upgrades until Baku carries significant risk. Seven races will pass between now and the Azerbaijan GP, during which rivals will continue to develop. If the Baku package fails to deliver, Williams could find itself locked in a fight with the backmarkers rather than challenging for points. Vowles has staked his credibility on the turnaround, having overseen a revival in 2024 that suggested Williams was finally emerging from years of underperformance. The mega-upgrade must work, or the momentum built under his leadership will evaporate. Baku in September will either validate the strategy or expose it as a costly miscalculation.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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