'No problem' after Albon's anonymous season

(GMM) Williams boss James Vowles (pictured with his drivers Sainz and Albon) says the team’s unexpected rise to fifth in the 2025 constructors’ championship came despite the FW47 being developed for only “a few weeks” last winter as focus shifted almost entirely to the all-new 2026 regulations.

“If you had asked me a year ago what the best possible scenario for 2025 was, I wouldn’t have said fifth place or three podiums,” he told AS in Abu Dhabi.

“You have to remember that we are focused on 2026, and this year’s car only took up a few weeks of the winter.”

Vowles admitted the midfield’s volatility – including Aston Martin’s collapse to ninth – also played a role, but highlighted the team’s strong execution and the arrival of Carlos Sainz from Ferrari.

Spaniard Sainz, who took podiums in Baku, Qatar and the Austin sprint, surprised his boss with how he responds to stress.

“The start of the year took Carlos longer than I expected – it’s a very different car from the Ferrari,” Vowles said. “But the results speak for themselves.

“When you put him under pressure, he improves. He needs pressure to perform better – I didn’t know that.”

He described moments where Sainz delivered on demand: “When something has gone slightly wrong in qualifying, he’s in the garage and goes out without pressure. The engineers raise their voices, and instead of raising his, he relaxes because he has it under control.

“You put the driver under pressure to do a hot lap, or the final laps in Qatar with problems in the Williams – again he managed it perfectly.”

While Sainz’s season has been eye-catching, Alex Albon’s has been more anonymous – a mix of quiet points finishes and weekends where he struggled to escape Q1.

But Vowles insists there is “no problem” with the Thai driver’s speed.

“Alex had pace in Las Vegas and Qatar. If he didn’t have pace, we’d have a problem,” he said. “There was a lack of consistency, and small details are now decisive. He lost a tenth at Turn 1, there were problems getting the tires up to temperature, and that makes the difference between finishing 16th or getting into Q3.”

Vowles said Albon’s recent dip was setup related.

“We were a bit off-track with Alex’s setup, and his car was pushing the limits more, while Carlos’s was more manageable. It’s a specific response to the last few races.”