Williams backs upgrades to keep Sainz committed

James Vowles says Williams can keep Carlos Sainz committed to its project despite a disappointing 2026 season, with the team principal pointing to a small but immediate Silverstone step and a much larger Azerbaijan upgrade as proof that the team is still moving forward.

Williams arrives at Silverstone under pressure. Sainz has scored only three ninth-place finishes this season and has not finished in the points across the last three events, while the team has slipped to the back of the midfield fight. Sainz said Williams has been the "clear ninth team" over the last two races, "a step behind the Haas and two or three steps behind the VCARBS that are fighting for points by themselves," adding that the team "almost got lapped by the VCARB in Austria," which showed "how far we are."

That slide has sharpened the importance of the next two upgrade phases. Vowles, Williams team principal, told Crash.net that Silverstone should be seen as a reset rather than a solution in itself. He said the package this weekend is "a reasonable upgrade," but made clear the bigger marker is still to come at Baku. "The best way to describe it to you is it's a B-spec car, it's a new chassis, and other bits that go with that at the same time," he said. He added that Williams will also introduce weight reduction that should be "actually fairly significant" in performance terms.

Vowles said his conversations with Sainz remain frequent and direct. "He and I talk not daily, but probably every two days," he said, adding that the Spaniard had already made clear "this is where he wants to be, this is where he wants his career to be." Vowles acknowledged the frustration on both sides, saying Sainz is frustrated by the current position and "I'm frustrated as well at the same time," but argued the key question is whether Williams can now "turn it around, and add performance at the right rate."

Sainz has struck a similar tone ahead of the British Grand Prix. He said he is optimistic about the new front wing but not expecting a sudden turnaround. "Yes, I am optimistic. Everyone in the team is hoping to improve the situation. Obviously, we know it's not going to be a radical change; we are not suddenly going to become leaders of the midfield with this upgrade, but we will try to get back into the fight."

The Spaniard has also stressed his own commitment to the effort. He said he is willing to sacrifice private time to help the team and spent Thursday morning in the simulator before heading to the circuit, working to better understand the new front wing and the car's energy behavior. He has described himself as being in the best moment of his career and has been working closely with Alex Albon to guide the team's direction.

For Vowles, the wider argument is that Williams' current form cannot be separated from the scale of the rebuild. He said the team is still undoing "N years' worth of structure" and admitted the roadmap he presented to the board is "slightly behind" in some areas and "slightly ahead" in others. "This is difficult to do, but it's not impossible to do with the right investment, the right systems, and the right structure," he said.

That leaves Silverstone as an early test of whether Williams can offer Sainz enough visible progress now, before the more significant Baku package arrives as the next real checkpoint for both the FW48 and the team’s rebuilding plan.