Key Highlights:
- Williams reached Q3 for the first time in 2026 and scored its first points since Monaco at the Baku weekend.
- Carlos Sainz finished 10th after a grid penalty, while Alex Albon retired following a crash that triggered a safety car.
- The updated FW48 delivered the expected step forward, but Williams expects to lose ground at the higher-downforce Malaysia circuit.
Williams shows progress but leaves Baku with mixed results
Williams’ Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend delivered both encouraging progress and familiar frustration. The Grove-based team reached Q3 for the first time in 2026, scored points for the first time since Monaco and introduced a major upgrade package for the FW48. However, Carlos Sainz’s qualifying grid penalty pushed him from ninth to 14th, while Alex Albon crashed out of the race.
Baku had been marked as a crucial weekend on the Williams calendar because the team finally brought significant improvements to a car that had received limited development for several months. The package included an all-new chassis that met the required weight, a new floor and additional aerodynamic components.
The FW48’s long-run pace in FP2 appeared promising, suggesting that Williams could finally re-enter the midfield battle involving Haas, Racing Bulls and Audi. Sainz qualified ninth, but his penalty placed him behind Albon on the grid. Williams’ hopes of securing points appeared to be fading until Franco Colapinto’s restart collision with Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris changed the complexion of the race.
James Vowles says Williams must understand its first-stint weakness
Sainz eventually finished 10th to claim a point, although the result was helped by incidents elsewhere in the field. Williams team principal James Vowles credited the factory effort behind the upgrade but acknowledged that the team lacked the necessary pace during the opening stint.
“It’s been a mammoth effort to bring the update that we have here this weekend and it’s nice to walk away with a point,” said team principal James Vowles. “You can see we didn’t have the pace on that first stint, and we need to dig and understand that because that was a critical part of the race where we weren’t able to make progress.”
The point represented a return to the standings for Williams, but the team’s drivers said the B-spec car had performed largely as expected rather than producing a dramatic transformation. Albon said the upgrade had placed Williams into the midfield fight, while Sainz described it as a meaningful but modest improvement.
“I think it’s exactly the step we expected,” Albon insisted. “Maybe we didn’t expect Q3, to be fair to you. But yes, it put us in a midfield fight.”
Sainz added: “Our initial feel is that the car feels just a bit quicker. But we were so far away that even though we’ve been bringing such a big upgrade, it still feels like we are playing a lot of catch-up. So as promised, no big massive surprises in terms of pace, a healthy step forward.”
Malaysia will provide a tougher test for the FW48
Williams’ performance in Baku must also be viewed in the context of the circuit itself. The high-speed Azerbaijan track suited the team, unlike Malaysia’s Sepang circuit and the Singapore street circuit, where greater downforce will play a more important role. That means Williams could struggle to maintain its Baku competitiveness during the remainder of the triple-header.
“This track, even without the upgrade, it would have favoured us,” Albon said. “Malaysia will be telling to see where we are on a much more downforce-focused circuit. We’ve also got now a few days to actually understand the package.
“If you look at the big picture, we’ll make the car go faster in terms of optimising it. But we’ll be slower relative to the rest of the field, because that track will not suit us. Expect us to fall back in Malaysia, and then maybe in Singapore we can come somewhere in between.”
Albon’s race ended on lap 31 after he outbraked himself and hit the wall, bringing out the safety car. He accepted responsibility for the incident but said the crash also highlighted a weakness that Williams has carried across regulatory changes: the car can lift a front wheel under braking, creating a three-wheeling effect and making front locking especially costly.
“It was odd,” he explained. “I braked a little bit later, but not much later. Then we had a big wind gust. I thought I would run a little bit wide, but I never thought I would hit the wall.
“I’m sure I have to hold my hand up in that situation, but at the same time we’ve had these issues before. We know our car likes to lift the front wheel and we three-wheel. We know when we brake a little bit late, we can expose ourselves to that three-wheeling. And sometimes when it does that, the penalty for front locking is huge on our car. It happens.
“For sure, with the wind gust and braking late at the same time, it just tips it over the edge. It wasn’t a huge amount; it was a few metres, but that’s too much.”
Williams uses 2026 development to prepare for 2027
Williams fans may have expected more from a major upgrade on a circuit that has historically suited the team. The squad remains ninth in the standings, and the 2026 campaign is already effectively lost in terms of its on-track position. However, the redesigned chassis and aerodynamic development provide Williams with valuable evidence as it prepares its 2027 car.
The latest chassis is expected to carry over into the 2027 campaign, giving Williams one significant component already in place. Vowles said the team should be able to make progress once the current major rules change is behind it, although the effects of problems encountered during the winter will take time to overcome.
“I’m confident you’re going to see us stepping forward now that that big rule change is behind us,” Vowles told Sky. “There’s an aero change for next year, there’s a power unit change for next year. But it’s smaller in size so we can absorb it.
“But it’s going to take a little bit of time to catch up on the mess that’s happened this winter. My real learning from it is we need a lot more investment to bring us just the ability to keep up with those in front. And the cost cap restrains us from doing that. “[The upgrade] is directionally right. I think more importantly, it’s the foundation we wanted to set ourselves for next year. We recognise this year’s a little bit behind us, unfortunately, but there’s a lot to do in going into 2027.”
Why This Matters
The Baku weekend showed that Williams can bring through a substantial chassis and aerodynamic package and move back toward the midfield, even if the upgrade does not immediately transform its competitive position. The result also exposed the limits of judging the package on a circuit that naturally favours the team. Malaysia’s higher downforce demands will provide a clearer indication of how much performance the new FW48 parts have added relative to rivals.
For Williams, the broader value of the upgrade lies in its role as a development test for the organisation and as a foundation for the 2027 project. The team must now understand its first-stint pace, address the braking-related three-wheeling weakness identified by Albon and maximise the new chassis before the next major phase of car development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What upgrade did Williams bring to Baku?
Williams introduced an all-new, correctly weighted chassis for the FW48, along with a new floor and other aerodynamic parts.
How did Williams perform in Azerbaijan?
The team reached Q3 for the first time in 2026. Carlos Sainz qualified ninth but started 14th because of a grid penalty and finished 10th for one point. Alex Albon retired after crashing on lap 31.
What is next for Williams after Baku?
Williams expects Malaysia to be more difficult because Sepang places greater emphasis on downforce. The team will also use the coming races to understand the upgrade and develop the foundation of its 2027 car.
