Formula 1 News: Williams aims to be first with 2026 car

(GMM) Williams is pushing to have its 2026 Formula 1 car completed significantly earlier than its rivals, as the race against time intensifies ahead of the new rules era.

While the first group test is scheduled for late January in Barcelona, team principal James Vowles says Williams intends to have its entire car ready at the very start of the month.

“The entire car has to be available for the VTT test bench at the beginning of January,” Vowles told Auto Motor und Sport. “We’ll probably be the first team to start that early. We don’t want to be caught off guard again, like we were in 2023.”

The VTT, or Virtual Test Track, allows Williams to run the full car – including engine, gearbox and suspension – through simulated race conditions on a static rig, validating reliability before any real track running begins.

According to Vowles, Williams’ first monocoques are already finished, with parts production for the opening races running at full speed. “After the VTT tests, we will probably do another filming day before the three test days in Barcelona begin,” he added.

The strategy marks a clear break from Williams’ recent past, when late builds often compromised early-season performance.

Vowles accepts there is a trade-off. “With the few weeks we finish earlier, we might lose a little bit of performance, but we ensure there are no delays in the program. That’s very important for us at Williams right now,” he said.

Meanwhile, following last week’s reports about Audi and Alpine running ahead of the main test, Grada3 adds that Audi’s first January running will not yet use the final specification of its 2026 power unit – with further evolution planned before the season-opening race in Melbourne.