Williams boss James Vowles has discussed one of the deep-rooted issues within the team’s FW47 car that could affect the remainder of its Formula 1 season.
The Grove-based squad made a bright start to the year, often appearing in mid to low-level points positions, but as the year has progressed, one particular anomaly has plagued the car.
In hotter races, the car is susceptible to cooling issues, including Miami – despite its double-points finish – and in Canada.
The team has indicated it is focusing a lot on its 2026 car, which may mean that upgrades and improvements to the FW47 may now be at a premium.
Speaking to The Race, Vowles has admitted that the design might not have been the best, but said the team is putting in the hours to rectify it the best it can.
“This is a problem that we’ve taken a number of medial steps in order to counter this year,” he said. “So have we got it right? No.
“And I always go back to what you need is the right level of simulation to actually drive where you should be.
“What we’re doing at the moment is discovering these issues either in VTT [virtual test track] testing or in real track testing, and that’s not the way to do it. But we don’t simply have the infrastructure behind us at the level it needs to be.
“At the moment, we’re using human beings to try to estimate where we should be, rather than real tools in order to determine where we should be, and that is always going to lead you to poor results.
“We have some fixes on the way in the next few races, but it’s more learning on track and then responding to that learning, and so therefore we are behind the curve.”
Williams believes new ‘culture’ will help it succeed
Vowles disagreed with the assumption that the issue reared its head in Canada, as only Alex Albon complained of problems, whereas Carlos Sainz’s car got through the race without drama.
“Carlos had zero problems with the same cooling outlets,” he said. “So in other words, aerodynamically, the cooling is fine.
“Aero [department] have done a really good job of optimising down where we should be. He had brake temperature issues, which a lot of teams did.
“Montreal is one of the worst of the year, but the actual engine cooling was fine.”
Albon was particularly disappointed with the team after Canada, being critical of some of the strategic decisions made.
However, Vowles insisted that the transition it wants to make to being back to the top will take time.
“I don’t think any part of our organisation is championship-level, any part of it,” he said. “And that includes the operations and what we’re doing. There is a ‘however’ to this.
“What we have created is a culture within this team where there’s an instant, and it’s really quite stark and noticeable, recognition of someone’s hand going up and saying: ‘This is what I didn’t get right. This is what we are fixing for next week. And this is what we are doing going forward with it as well’.
“There aren’t individuals within the team stating we are at the right level. It is quite the opposite. We are stating this is the journey. Can you give us just these races? And this is what we’re going to change race by race, in order to find improvement on where we are.
“So that goes from everything: from pitstops, to strategy, to communication with the drivers, to communication with the wider field, through to parts coming to the track. It’s everything that you can think of.
“And that’s what I am looking for, because that kind of culture of effectively continuing to chase excellence is what you’re after.”
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