Williams Formula 1 boss James Vowles has revealed the team has prepared a three-step update plan that should inspire a return to consistent points scores in 2024.
The Grove-based squad has been unable to build upon its seventh-place finish last term as it has slumped to ninth this season with a meagre five points in 14 rounds.
Williams opted to overhaul its car concept over the winter in a bid to assemble a more rounded package, but late deadlines resulted in several parts being overweight.
Vowles divulged at Imola three months ago that it was putting measures in place to reduce the excess weight that was costing Williams up to 0.45 seconds each lap.
The Briton has now disclosed that Williams has more developments in the pipeline past the summer break which should help the side to eradicate the remaining bulk.
“I think we’re in a situation where there’s no doubt about it we’ve underperformed in this first part of the season,” Vowles told media including Motorsport Week.
“We’re in a situation where I think we’ve gone well with the chassis technology and what we’re doing here.
“You can’t unlearn what you’ve done. You can’t change what you’ve done. The car’s a lot lighter than it has been.
“But we have to recognise as well that the competition is fierce this year and that with just a few points to our name, that’s not a good reflection of where we would like to be.
“I think there was more we could have achieved if the car was in the weight limit. We were open and honest about this.
“I gave you numbers. We’re still overweight today, but there are updates coming.
“It looks still on plan at the moment. But don’t quote me on it, although you will. But we have updates coming after the summer break.
“I hope in Zandvoort, and then I hope again in Baku, or the race after Baku, or something like that, which I think is Singapore.
“They’re big. In our world now, the world of Formula 1, they’re big steps.”
Asked when the FW45 should be operating at F1’s 698-kilogram minimum weight limit, Vowles replied: “Before the end of the year, hard to tell. It just depends.
“When you’re doing updates, you’re doing things theoretically based on the car output until you produce them. There’s always a few per cent error before the end of the year.”
Along with lighter components, Vowles has outlined that Williams will have aero and suspension upgrades which should propel it closer to regular points contention.
“What I can tell you is there’s substantive numbers that should add up to us being back in a position of fighting for points,” he continued.
“And it’s achieved through a number of things.
“There’s aerodynamic updates, you’re going to see a suspension update, and you’re going to see weight coming off the car.
“So it’s fundamentally three core groups that are doing this.”
However, Vowles is cautious that several rival sides over recent months have implemented developments that haven’t aligned with expectations from the wind tunnel.
“Now my reticence is, you’ve now watched AlphaTauri have an update, but take it off,” he highlighted.
“Mercedes had an update, but take it off. I think Red Bull did an update, and took it off as well.
“You don’t normally see that. Teams have confidence in what they do, and yet you’re seeing teams move backwards and forwards to update packages.
“So I think there’s one team that probably stands out in that regard. McLaren have done really well. I think they’ve put on a car, stayed on the car, and they’ve done a good job of it.
“So my reticence is only what they know that we don’t at this point.”
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