Williams warns Baku will not repair its season

Williams will bring a major upgrade to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but James Vowles warns it will not be enough to make the team a regular points contender. The 2026 car began overweight and mistakes made during its winter development will continue to hurt through the end of the season. After 14 rounds, Williams has 11 points and sits ninth in the constructors’ standings, ahead of Aston Martin and Cadillac.

The Baku package should deliver small steps, not move the team into another category. Vowles is focusing the objective on 2027, when the corrective projects under way at Grove can be integrated into a car designed around them. The next weekend is therefore about measuring development direction rather than expecting a dramatic result at a circuit that gave Williams a podium in 2025.