One-time Williams Formula 1 winner David Coulthard has labelled the 2026 season a “write-off” but has backed the team to bounce back.
Williams is enduring a challenging 2026 campaign, slowly falling down the order after starting the season with a lower midfield car.
Their struggles were further heightened at the Hungarian Grand Prix, when both cars were eliminated in Q1, both cars unable to finish in the in the top 16 during the race.
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz also suffered the ignomny of being outpaced by Aston Martin after the Silverstone based team jumped them in the competitive order thanks to their upgrade package.
Coulthard revealing his affection for the team, highlighted where Williams may have gone wrong in developing the FW48.
“I have a soft spot for Williams. That’s where I started my testing career. That’s where I started my grand prix career,” he said on the Up To Speed podcast.
“This family dynamic, the whole journey of that team, they are affectionately supported within the paddock, which wouldn’t be the case for every other team.
“Look, they got it wrong, their car. But the mitigating circumstances, as we learn more, is that they got a lot of the information on what they were dealing with from their outside suppliers late, which meant they had to then internally adjust what they were building, and it came out late and heavy, and late and heavy is not a good thing. They missed the first test.
Coulthard predicts Williams comeback
The decline in form comes as Sainz enters his second season at Williams, but Coulthard backs the Spaniard’s decision to join and for both to bounce back despite the challenges they face.
“But the comeback will be sweet. I think they’ve got two fantastic drivers.
“Yet, they may not have a lot of points. For the Williams fans around the world, it’s been a disappointment, and this year will be a bit of a write-off in that respect.
“They’re not going to achieve fifth unless they unleash some amazing upgrade. They might get one more upgrade this year, and otherwise all focus will be on the year ahead.
“For Carlos Sainz particularly, it must be frustrating, because he sort of juggled the do I go to Audi, do I go with Williams, and I think on paper, he made the right decision going with a British team and a team like Williams. But they’ll be back.”
Coulthard brings a unique insight, having driven for teams at the peak of their powers, in decline and in a rebuilding phase. That he believes 2027 is the earliest Williams can bounce back from its current malaise is very telling.
Discussion about this post