From Motorsport · Filip Cleeren · · 50s
Williams drops 2026 upgrades for 2027 focus
Williams chief James Vowles says it's 'horribly painful' to skip 2026 aero upgrades for 2027 car development.
In brief
Williams chief James Vowles says it's 'horribly painful' to skip 2026 aero upgrades for 2027 car development. Williams F1 team skipped 2026 aero upgrades to save resources for 2027 car development, calling it 'horribly painful' but necessary for future competitiveness. Originally reported by Motorsport.
Williams skips 2026 aero upgrades
Williams F1 team chief James Vowles says it was 'horribly painful' to forego 2026 aero upgrades for 2027 car development.
“It's horribly painful”
2027 car project prioritized
Williams ringsfence cost cap resources to optimize 2027 car project after 2025 progress failed to carry over.
2026 car underdeveloped
2026 car arrived late, overweight and aerodynamically underdeveloped due to factory system overload.
2027 focus strategy
Williams treats Friday practice sessions as test runs for 2027 development, sacrificing weekend performance.
The short version
Williams F1 team skipped 2026 aero upgrades to save resources for 2027 car development, calling it 'horribly painful' but necessary for future competitiveness.
