Daily News 19

Tag: Carlos Sainz

  • Williams Criticized for ‘overpromising and underdelivering’ Amid 2026 F1 Struggles

    Williams Criticized for ‘overpromising and underdelivering’ Amid 2026 F1 Struggles

    Formula 1 broadcaster Will Buxton has criticised Williams for “overpromising and underdelivering” during the 2026 season, while admitting he remains surprised that Carlos Sainz chose the Grove-based team over Audi.

    Williams struggles after ambitious 2025 claims

    Williams made bold statements throughout 2025, but its campaign has fallen well short of expectations. The team arrived at pre-season testing in Bahrain on the back foot after missing private testing in Barcelona, and it has since battled significant problems with an overweight car.

    After 12 rounds, Williams sits ninth in the constructors’ championship with 11 points. Sainz and Alex Albon are 16th and 17th in the drivers’ standings, with six and five points respectively.

    The team’s difficult season was compounded at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, where the two Williams drivers collided. Albon was forced to retire, while Sainz received a 10-second penalty.

    Buxton compares Williams with Audi

    Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Buxton compared Williams with Audi, which joined the Formula 1 grid as a works team in 2026 after taking over Sauber.

    Sainz had held talks with Audi after losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, but ultimately chose Williams for the 2025 season.

    “There’s an interesting difference in mindset and philosophy between Williams and Audi. When you look at the two places that Carlos could have ended up, you might have expected Audi to turn up with great fanfare, and yet I feel that they’ve been quite understated and have kind of underpromised and overdelivered,” Buxton explained.

    “Whereas Williams keep making the big statements of, ‘We’re going to take these steps up; we want to be fighting for X, Y and Z, and this is going to be a great year for us,’ and then it disappoints. So they overpromise and underdeliver. 

    “I did find it interesting back when Carlos signed for Williams, and he had that option of going to Audi. I found it really interesting that you would turn down a factory seat over the dream that is Williams, and obviously James Vowles sold him a brilliant dream.”

    Source: www.motorsport.com

  • Carlos Sainz: F1 Rules Era Could Explain Changes in Driver Competitiveness

    Carlos Sainz: F1 Rules Era Could Explain Changes in Driver Competitiveness

    Carlos Sainz believes Formula 1’s regulation changes have played a major role in reshaping the competitive order among drivers in 2026.

    F1 introduced its biggest rules overhaul last winter, changing both the chassis and power unit. The new regulations moved the sport away from ground-effect cars and introduced active aerodynamics, alongside a 50/50 split between internal-combustion and electrical power.

    The changes created a fresh challenge for drivers, who had to adapt to different car characteristics and manage power units that were significantly different from those used during the 2022-25 era.

    Sainz links F1 regulation changes to driver performance swings

    Sainz believes that transition has contributed to the changes in competitiveness seen among drivers in 2026.

    “Let’s start with one thing: it’s been impressive to see how much the performance balance between team-mates has changed. Not only between Antonelli and Russell, but also between Hamilton and Leclerc, and with Verstappen not being as dominant over Hadjar,” Sainz said in an exclusive interview.

    “I think it’s a lesson for everyone. We’ve had confirmation that when the fundamental concept of a car changes, the competitive picture can change as well.

    Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

    Photo by: Joe Portlock / Getty Images

    “It’s something I’ve always believed: a car can suit you extremely well or it can be far from what you would ideally want, but sooner or later you have to adapt. It might take some time, but eventually you have to find a way.

    “I’ve always thought that many results in Formula 1 have also been helped by the combination of being in the right place at the right time. For many years, I’ve believed there are cars that simply suit your driving style from the very first laps.”

    Why ground-effect cars did not suit Sainz

    Sainz said the ground-effect era did not naturally fit his preferred driving style, forcing him to adapt in order to maximise his performance.

    “It happened when the ground-effect regulations came in. From 2022 onwards, for four years, I was never able to drive in my natural style,” he explained.

    “I adapted and still managed to achieve some good results, but I remain convinced that the Carlos who drove during the ground-effect era wasn’t the same Carlos who drove the 2021, 2020 or 2019 cars.

    “I’m not saying I was slow with the ground-effect cars. I think I had some very good races during that period, both with Ferrari and Williams, but I always had to adapt to something that didn’t come as naturally to me.

    Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, passes the beached car of Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75

    Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

    “I had to work harder at it, and I think it was the same for other drivers too.”

    Changing teams can transform an F1 driver’s performance

    The four-time grand prix winner also believes moving between teams can have a similar effect. However, he said joining a new team is not necessarily a disadvantage when it comes to adapting to a different car or working alongside a team-mate who is already established.

    “At the final test of the season in Abu Dhabi [December 2018], I got into their [McLaren’s] car for the first time and immediately felt that it drove in a way that was exactly in line with what I liked,” Sainz said.

    “I think during my two years with McLaren, you saw the best version of me, although I also really liked the Toro Rosso. I liked the Renault a little less, while I immediately liked the 2021 Ferrari and I always performed very well in that car.

    “Then, with the arrival of the ground-effect regulations, things became more difficult, but this year, I’ve started enjoying the driving more again.

    “In the end, I don’t think a team can design a car specifically around your driving style. Sometimes you just get a fortunate combination, and when that happens you feel unbeatable. You have the feeling that it’s your car.”

  • Bernie Collins Issues Stark Warning to Williams After Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz’s Dutch GP Crash

    Bernie Collins Issues Stark Warning to Williams After Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz’s Dutch GP Crash

    Williams cannot afford the financial and development consequences of the collision between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon at the Dutch Grand Prix, according to Sky Sports Formula 1 analyst Bernie Collins.

    Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Collins highlighted the serious impact of the intra-team crash on the Grove-based team, which is already dealing with an overweight car, delayed upgrades and budget-cap constraints.

    Williams entered the Zandvoort weekend after announcing contract extensions for both drivers. However, its race quickly unravelled when Sainz and Albon made contact. Albon retired from the race, while Sainz received a 10-second penalty and eventually finished 16th.

    “The first rule within a team is do not hit your team-mate,” Collins said. “That is like the P1 rule. Particularly [for] a team who are struggling to bring upgrades, struggling for money. Their car is overweight and underperforming.

    “We hear Mercedes saying they don’t have enough money to bring upgrades. You just can’t lose the parts, the performance, the knowledge. So I think that’s something that they’re going to have a big discussion about.

    “Whether it comes out of their pay packet or not doesn’t matter because it’s already out of the budget. You can’t put it back into the budget and say, ‘Oh, the drivers have subbed this bit of the budget.’ It doesn’t work like that. So that was a difficult weekend for them.

    “And whether they did or didn’t do the right strategy, it was only [Fernando] Alonso who did the other strategy. So, they had very similar strategies to those around them. But the performance was lacking, and it just seems the car wasn’t the right weight, and it wasn’t delivered on time, and it didn’t have the right performance. So, there’s lots going on in the background of Williams there.”

  • Sergio Perez “had conversations” with Other Formula 1 Teams

    Sergio Perez “had conversations” with Other Formula 1 Teams

    Sergio Perez says he remains committed to Cadillac despite his management holding talks with rival Formula 1 teams about a possible move for the 2027 season.

    Reports had linked Perez with Williams if Carlos Sainz decided to leave the team. However, Sainz signed a multi-year contract extension with the Grove-based outfit, removing that potential opportunity.

    The Mexican driver was also associated with Alpine, although the team is expected to retain Franco Colapinto for 2027 after the Argentine improved during his first full season with the Enstone-based squad.

    Despite the speculation, Perez told Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast that he wants to remain part of Cadillac and help the American team develop beyond its debut season.

    “For me, nothing has changed,” he said. “Of course, we’ve had conversations with other teams and here and there, a few teams have been calling and stuff, but for me, nothing has changed. 

    “I see this as my project and I want to be part of Cadillac. I really believe [in it].

    “I don’t think this is a one-year project. I think this is a long-term project that I want to be part of. Obviously, there will be some discussions, but this is where I want to be and nothing has changed from my side.”

    Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

    Perez said he wants to see Cadillac make further progress and is also keen to assess the impact of new team principal Marcin Budkowski. Budkowski replaced Graeme Lowdon, who was released by Cadillac during the summer break.

    For Perez, improving Cadillac’s results will require more than simply increasing the car’s on-track performance. He also highlighted the team’s operational work, including pit stops, race strategy and tyre management.

    “I want to see more progress. Closing out the gap to the teams ahead of us,” he said. “I don’t know who’s ahead at the moment, I don’t know if it’s Williams, Aston seems to have become part [of the midfield] and being able to mix with them more in the races. 

    “Being able to close that gap will only allow us to start next year in a much better shape. And that’s something I want to see. Obviously, I’m looking forward to work with Marcin and see his leadership. 

    “I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. Not just on performance, operationally, pitstops, strategy, tyres. 

    “There’s so much still – we’ve only done the 11th race in our history. So there’s a lot of things. But I want to see much more progress. Closing out the gap and then I think that will give us a massive boost to start next year.”

  • James Vowles Reveals Williams’ “huge number of projects” to Fix 2026 Problems

    James Vowles Reveals Williams’ “huge number of projects” to Fix 2026 Problems

    Williams team principal James Vowles says the Grove-based Formula 1 team is managing a “huge number of projects” to correct development mistakes made during the winter that continue to affect its 2026 campaign.

    Williams targeting long-term performance fixes

    Speaking in his post-race The Vowles Verdict debrief after a difficult Dutch Grand Prix, Vowles said Williams is restructuring behind the scenes to identify and address the reasons for its current lack of performance.

    “As you saw, we announced both driver contracts last week, and it’s hard to put into words what it means to the organisation when that happens,” he said. “But it’s a monumental change. We have made mistakes this winter, which we’re still paying for today, and the drivers are paying for on the car that we’ve delivered on track.

    “What was great is when we started to show the future that’s beyond here, one that’s more around the long term, their commitment came to the forefront. And that’s really important to me. It’s important to the team. It’s important to everyone because ultimately we’re here and we know we have a pathway to go, but we’re here fighting as a team.”

    Williams ended speculation over its driver line-up before the Dutch Grand Prix, with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz both signing contract extensions. Albon agreed to a one-year extension that will keep him at Williams until the end of 2027, while Sainz signed a multi-year deal.

    Although some updated car components are scheduled to arrive later in the season, Vowles said the Williams factory is prioritising fixes designed to improve the team’s long-term competitiveness.

    “We have huge numbers of projects, though, in the background to make sure that we’re just digging out what went wrong this winter and fixing for the long term,” Vowles added. “And that’s our commitment today as it will be in six months’ time.”

    Williams currently sits ninth in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship with 11 points.

  • 7 F1 Drivers Who Staged Remarkable Comebacks After Stellar Substitute Performances

    7 F1 Drivers Who Staged Remarkable Comebacks After Stellar Substitute Performances

    The final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort delivered a major talking point: Yuki Tsunoda’s return to a race seat with Racing Bulls. After losing his Red Bull drive following a difficult 2025 campaign, the Japanese driver had been relegated to test and reserve duties. He seized the chance to stand in for Liam Lawson, who had himself been promoted to the senior team to cover for an injured Isack Hadjar. Tsunoda finished a strong eleventh, just shy of the points.

    “I did everything I could today and I really enjoyed it,” Tsunoda said after just missing out on points in P11. Whether the performance earns him a full-time grid return remains to be seen, but Formula 1 history offers several precedents where a standout substitute drive reignited a career.

    Nico Hulkenberg: The ultimate super-sub

    Finishing just ahead of Tsunoda in Zandvoort was Nico Hulkenberg, a driver intimately familiar with the power of a stand-in appearance. After being dropped by Renault at the end of 2019, Hulkenberg made three substitute starts for Racing Point during the 2020 season when Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll contracted Covid-19. A car issue prevented him from starting his first outing at Silverstone, but one week later at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix he qualified third behind the Mercedes cars and finished seventh. His third appearance at the Nürburgring saw him charge from the back of the grid to eighth place.

    Those drives secured him a reserve role for 2021, two further stand-in weekends in 2022, and ultimately a full-time comeback with Haas in 2023. The 39-year-old has since thrived, moving to the then Kick Sauber outfit—now Audi—and scoring a long-awaited maiden podium at the 2024 British Grand Prix.

    Carlos Sainz: Turning a forced exit into a victory lap

    Unlike Tsunoda and Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz has not been sidelined in F1, but he entered the 2024 season knowing he would leave Ferrari at year’s end. The blockbuster announcement that Lewis Hamilton would join the Scuderia for 2025 caught many off guard—perhaps including Sainz, who would make way for the seven-time champion. Complicating matters, appendicitis surgery forced him to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, prompting a memorable substitute debut from then-F2 driver Ollie Bearman.

    Sainz returned two weeks later in Australia and produced a stunning comeback: second on the grid and his third career victory. The performance reminded the paddock of his calibre, attracting multiple suitors for 2025 before he signed with Williams.

    Alain Prost: Sabbatical leads to a fourth title

    Alain Prost’s split with Ferrari was far more acrimonious. After moving from McLaren, his 1990 debut season with the Scuderia ended in controversial title defeat to Ayrton Senna. Tensions escalated in 1991 as Prost publicly criticized the team’s declining competitiveness, leading to his dismissal before the season concluded. With no time to secure a 1992 seat, the “Professor” took a sabbatical.

    He returned with Williams for 1993 and announced his intent immediately, converting pole position into victory at the season opener in South Africa. Six more wins followed, delivering his fourth World Championship before he retired at the campaign’s close.

    Mika Salo: Filling Schumacher’s shoes at Ferrari

    Mika Salo debuted late in 1994 with Lotus and raced for Tyrrell and Arrows before losing his seat for 1999. An opportunity arose when he replaced an injured Ricardo Zonta at BAR for three races, but the bigger call came when Ferrari drafted him to substitute for Michael Schumacher after the German broke his leg at Silverstone.

    Despite the daunting task, Salo impressed with ninth on his Ferrari debut in Austria. At Hockenheim one round later, he qualified fourth, led the race, and moved aside for teammate Eddie Irvine—who was battling Mika Häkkinen for the title—to finish second for his first career podium. A second rostrum at Monza helped Ferrari secure the Constructors’ Championship, and Salo’s form earned a full-time Sauber drive for 2000.

    Valtteri Bottas: “Bottas 2.0” rises from a dark place

    Valtteri Bottas endured a winless 2018 season, dropping to fifth in the standings while teammate Lewis Hamilton claimed a sixth title. The Finn later revealed he contemplated leaving the sport after falling into a “dark place,” but used the winter to regroup. The revival was instant: at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, he overtook polesitter Hamilton into the first corner and dominated to win by 20 seconds.

    Over the radio, he famously declared, “To whom it may concern, f*** you!”—a message he later admitted was “just all the frustration from the year before coming out.” That victory launched his strongest F1 season, yielding four wins and a career-best second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Kevin Magnussen: The “Viking comeback”

    Kevin Magnussen’s return after a year away mirrors the stand-in narrative. After four seasons with Haas (2017–2020), he was replaced for 2021 by rookies Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher. Magnussen competed in other series until a late call from Haas to replace Mazepin for 2022. Despite the hiatus, he qualified seventh on his return in Bahrain and converted it to fifth on race day.

    Team Principal Guenther Steiner hailed it as “some f****** Viking comeback.” Magnussen later added a shock pole position in São Paulo and remained with Haas through 2024 before moving to the World Endurance Championship.

    Sergio Perez: From seat loss to maiden win and a Red Bull drive

    Sergio Perez has raced in F1 since his 2011 Sauber debut, spending 2013 with McLaren before joining Force India. His future turned uncertain when Sebastian Vettel signed for the team’s 2021 rebrand as Aston Martin, leaving Perez without a contract. He responded emphatically: a second place in Turkey for Racing Point, followed by a spectacular maiden victory in Sakhir after a first-lap incident dropped him to the back of the field.

    The win made him the first Mexican driver to win since Pedro Rodriguez in 1970. That recovery drive undoubtedly strengthened his case for a 2021 seat, leading to a four-year tenure with Red Bull.

    Each of these drivers turned a moment of uncertainty—whether a substitute appearance, a forced sabbatical, or a sudden seat loss—into a career-defining resurgence. Tsunoda’s determined drive at Zandvoort suggests he may yet join their ranks.

  • James Vowles Addresses Alex Albon–Carlos Sainz Collision at Dutch GP

    James Vowles Addresses Alex Albon–Carlos Sainz Collision at Dutch GP

    Williams team principal James Vowles says the team must accept part of the blame for the late-race collision between Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz at the Dutch Grand Prix.

    During a chaotic race at Zandvoort, won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, the two Williams drivers collided while fighting outside the points-paying positions.

    Williams accepts responsibility for Albon and Sainz crash

    Speaking in the team’s post-race video debrief, The Vowles Verdict, the Williams boss addressed the incident.

    “As you saw, Alex and Carlos came together on track,” Vowles explained. “There’s a lot of questions around whose fault it is, whose isn’t it? I’ll start with this. I think with our two drivers, both have a responsibility to not hit each other.

    “It’s hard to do it as a majority to one or the other, but both have a culpability in that. This particular circumstance, actually, I think we as a team have a culpability.”

    According to Vowles, the team’s decision to leave Sainz on worn tyres during the virtual safety car period contributed to the situation.

    “We tried leaving Carlos out at that VSC. The reason why was because had we stopped, he would have been behind Alex and Franco anyway. So you’re back net to where you would have been before, without the pace to be able to overtake them.

    “But that said, this also put our cars into a situation where they were fighting tooth and nail for no points on track. That’s not a situation we should be putting them in either.”

    Albon retired from the race after the collision, while Sainz continued to finish 16th.

    Sainz received a 10-second penalty for the incident, which he described as “fair” after the race.

    “Fair penalty. I had a bit of a surprise when I went to defend,” the Spaniard explained. “I had really worn hard tyres, struggling a lot with the car, with the pace of the race. “And when I went to brake on the inside, there was a massive bump on the inside of Turn 1. When you are further in the inside, the bigger it gets. I just hit with the plank. “I had the front tyres in the air. And as soon as I touched the brake, I locked up and I took Alex with me, which is the worst possible outcome for that race, because it’s not like we were fighting for anything big. But honestly, it caught me so much by surprise. Apologies to him, because it’s the last thing I wanted.”

  • Alex Albon Explains Why Williams Cannot Afford Team-Mate Secrets in F1

    Alex Albon Explains Why Williams Cannot Afford Team-Mate Secrets in F1

    Alex Albon has explained why he and Williams teammate Carlos Sainz share setup information rather than keeping performance gains secret on their respective sides of the garage.

    Williams has endured a difficult 2026 Formula 1 season. The Grove-based team is ninth in the constructors’ championship with 11 points, while Sainz and Albon sit 16th and 17th in the drivers’ standings with six and five points respectively.

    Although teammates naturally compete against each other, Albon believes the current limitations of the Williams car make collaboration essential. Speaking on The Fast And The Curious podcast after the Dutch Grand Prix, he explained that drivers at other teams may withhold useful information to gain an advantage, but said that approach would not benefit Williams.

    “What happens in some teams, and I know this, is that you will find something on your car, but it won’t be something the other car can’t find,” Albon explained. “It could be a line into a corner, it could be a gear choice, it could be a set-up direction, it could be the way that we implement the electronic system into the car.

    You could find something good, but you just won’t mention it. You can keep it quiet to your side of the garage.

    Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in Williams Formula 1 cars
    Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon, Williams. Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 / Getty Images

    “Realistically, for us, at least I don’t do it, so maybe Carlos does it, I don’t know,” he laughed. “But because of the limitations of our car, we kind of work together on it.

    “It’s almost like we both have the same feedback with the same problems, and then we can split the cars,” he said. “One car might go, ‘Yes, this is working,’ so the other car joins onto that. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, this works, and this works, so we’ll take a bit of both.’ You kind of chop and change sometimes.

    “Oh, this is the wrong way, so now the other car’s gone the other way, so now it’s that way. But there is a balance.

    “I remember that happened a lot more when you have two rookie drivers and you’re kind of fighting for the same [position]. You can imagine it becomes a little bit more [elbows out],” Albon added.

  • Carlos Sainz Denies Audi F1 Talks for 2027: ‘I never considered leaving Williams’

    Carlos Sainz Denies Audi F1 Talks for 2027: ‘I never considered leaving Williams’

    Carlos Sainz says he never considered leaving Williams despite the team’s difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Spaniard signed a new contract alongside team-mate Alexander Albon last week, committing his future to the Grove-based team.

    Williams, a nine-time constructors’ championship winner, has struggled so far this season. The FW48 has slipped down the competitive order and failed to score points in the last six races. The downturn had led team principal James Vowles to question whether he could retain his current driver line-up.

    Sainz dismisses Audi links

    Sainz held discussions with Williams and the future Audi team after losing his Ferrari seat ahead of the 2025 season, eventually choosing the Grove-based outfit. Two years later, reports linked him with a potential move to Audi for 2027, although there was no clear vacancy at the Hinwil-based team.

    However, Sainz told Motorsport.com that he had not seriously considered such a move.

    “No, it was just the usual paddock rumours,” he said in our exclusive interview. “I can confirm that this year I never seriously considered going anywhere else.”

    Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team, Carlos Sainz, Williams

    Unlike Albon, who has committed to Williams for 2027 only, Sainz signed a “multi-year contract”. The wording suggests the agreement runs at least until 2028, although such language is also commonly used for contracts containing options for subsequent seasons.

    Why Sainz stayed with Williams

    Asked whether the new agreement meant he was no longer available to Formula 1’s leading teams, Sainz gave an indirect response.

    “The usual process is that, before signing a contract, you always assess the overall situation,” he said. “But when we put everything on the table, another aspect emerged that is very important to me: I’ve never liked leaving a team when it’s going through a difficult period.

    “It’s not in my character to go somewhere else if the situation has become worse since I joined the team. When I committed to the Williams project, I knew there could be difficult moments and, even though the one we’re going through now is particularly tough, I’m ready to accept it.

    “Nobody in the team is happy with the current situation, and we’re all pushing to change it as quickly as possible. But, as I said, it’s not in my nature to abandon ship when things get tough.”

  • James Vowles Reveals Carlos Sainz’s ‘Unique’ Trait Aiding Williams Amid Struggles

    James Vowles Reveals Carlos Sainz’s ‘Unique’ Trait Aiding Williams Amid Struggles

    Williams Racing team principal James Vowles has praised Carlos Sainz’s “unique” competitive mindset, crediting the Spaniard’s unwavering approach as a critical asset for the squad during a challenging 2026 Formula 1 season.

    Sainz Delivers Podium Before Williams’ Downturn

    Sainz guided Williams back to the podium last season, yet the team experienced a sharp reversal of fortune in 2026. After establishing themselves as the “best of the rest,” they found themselves battling toward the rear of the grid. The driver has been outspoken about the team’s struggles, citing delayed development and an overweight car as primary factors. Despite those setbacks, Sainz signed a multi-year contract extension, signalling his confidence in the project’s long-term trajectory.

    Vowles Highlights Sainz’s Consistent Mindset

    Vowles expressed his delight at retaining both Sainz and Alex Albon — who is also committed through 2027 — and reflected on Sainz’s demeanour during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.

    “He is immensely good,” he said.

    “His attitude and approach doesn’t change irrespective of whether he’s fighting for 18th or a podium, and that’s quite unique.

    “Normally, you’ll see a change in persona from individuals – the more frustrated they are, the more emotion kicks into it, and Carlos doesn’t have that at all. He’s just driven by constant performance improvements. Fundamentally, that is what you need to be driving yourselves forward with.”

    Williams Targets Recovery Amid Regulatory Shifts

    Both the team and its drivers share the ambition to return to fighting for points, victories, and eventually championships. However, the timeline has been recalibrated following an unexpected performance drop under the current regulations. As rivals such as Aston Martin close the gap with substantial upgrades, pressure is mounting on Williams to demonstrate progress when their own updates debut at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Vowles, however, has cautioned that meaningful gains will require patience.

    “When we look at where the grid is right now, we are too far away,” he summarised. “So a lot of our focus is really going into next year, especially since there is a power unit change and an aerodynamic regulation change, in order to sort of get back onto, let’s say, a solid foundation.

    “It’s a team that’s hurting, there’s no doubt about it. We’re not where we want to be.

    “This is not what we planned for, so to have the news that two of your leaders are by your side and growing with you and believe in the journey you’re on is incredibly powerful for an organisation, especially when we’re asking what we are of them.

    “It isn’t just about what they bring on track, it’s about the leaders they are behind the scenes. An example of that is when this winter went pretty poor, both flew to the UK and spent time with the team to effectively just support them in every way that they could do, which is unusual, but it’s an indication of who they are as characters.”