RacingWilliams has been dragged to the back by an FW48 reportedly 15 to 20 kilograms over the limit, a handicap that has turned early-2026 hopes into a salvage job. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon have been stuck firefighting, with the team’s only reward so far a P9 for Sainz at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The results match the deficit. Williams has just that one points finish, while both drivers have often struggled to escape Q1. The car looks a step behind the midfield pack on Saturdays and cannot hold on long enough on Sundays to cash in when chances appear.
The roots of the slump trace back to production problems and delays that left the chassis heavier than planned. The team even missed its planned shakedown at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, losing miles and setup learning that others banked. Engineers are still chasing answers on how to strip mass without upsetting the car’s behavior, and the early calendar has exposed the cost of that delay.
Sainz set the tone for what comes next. Reflecting on the early rounds, he called P9 in Shanghai a “mini victory” and said they “still have a lot of weight to lose.” He argued the car will be better once lighter and pushed for gains in downforce and balance across the season. The message is simple enough. Shed kilos, then unlock performance the current package is hiding.
The wider mood is candid but realistic. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Damon Hill voiced frustration at how far Williams has fallen and said ambitions need a reset until the FW48 sheds its excess. Inside the garage, Albon has kept the temperature down, expressing confidence the team will get there despite the slow start. That aligns with the internal priority list taking shape around Grove: move fast on weight reduction, then lean into core development to recover the base grip and stability drivers need to qualify in the mix.
None of this rewrites the first phase of 2026, and there is no promise of a quick fix. But the path is clear from the people inside the car and around it. Williams has to make the FW48 lighter, then make it kinder to its drivers. If they hit those marks, more days like Shanghai are on the table. If not, the grind of fighting just to reach Q2 will linger.