Baku upgrade will not fix Williams’ 2026 F1 struggles
Alex Albon conceded that Williams will endure a tough end to the 2026 Formula 1 campaign with priority now shifting to building a fast car for 2027.
The Grove outfit has failed to kick on from its multi-podium season in 2025 and is ninth in the 2026 championship after 11 rounds with only 11 points and none since Monaco in June.
Hungary last time out was its worst result yet, finishing 17th and 18th with Carlos Sainz and Albon both out in Q1 having been leapfrogged by Audi and Aston Martin, which recently fitted upgrades.
There is hope that the upgrades Williams has planned for Baku in September will improve the situation – with team boss James Vowles previously labelling it “almost an entirely new car – but Albon isn’t so optimistic.
“We know the weaknesses of the car, we know the directions,” said the 30-year-old. “I think as a team, this year, the work that’s being done at the factory, it’s the biggest effort I’ve seen from the team to really fight these genetic DNA problems that this team has.
“I appreciate it. I think we’re doing exactly the right things to get back on track. It’s a shame that we’re here in the first place, but I do believe we’re doing the right thing.
“If it’s cured by Baku? I doubt it. I think a lot of the Baku stuff has happened. That upgrade was planned quite a long time ago.
“A lot of what we’re really, unfortunately, biting into is next year’s car. It’s making sure next year’s car doesn’t have these traits – frustrating!”
Alexander Albon, Williams
Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images
Williams’ struggles stem from a slow start to the 2026 regulation change as it skipped the Barcelona shakedown in January due to production delays and the knock-on effect has been evident.
The FW48 suffers from being overweight and with the Hungaroring being a high-downforce circuit, those problems were exacerbated for Williams in Budapest.
It is now at the point where Albon doesn’t even feel confident enough to showcase his full abilities, the level he managed to reach last year with points in seven of the first eight rounds.
“Honestly, driving wise, it’s frustrating because I can’t even drive really,” he added after the Hungarian race. “The team’s not getting the best from me because I have to under-drive so much: the gusts, the wind, the track. We talk about that three wheeling.
“It’s just, you try and push. I think there were six laps in the race where the wind stabilised and I could finally settle down and get into a rhythm.
“Then the wind picks up again and you’re back into that cycle. It feels like you’re making mistakes but you’re not.
“You’re just braking at the same places, doing the same things, but just lacking consistency. It was a battle out there today.”
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