Aside from Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, every other team on the Formula 1 grid may already be beginning to focus on the next set of regulations.
In 2026, teams will have to adapt to a new ruleset and that may level the playing field or give a new team a chance to dominate the sport.
There are aspects of the new cars that teams aren’t allowed to work on yet, but designers and engineers will already be considering how best to tackle the challenge that’s approaching.
Speaking to Autosport, Williams team principal James Vowles has been speaking about the upcoming changes.
Vowles will be delighted that he already has star driver Alex Albon signed up for the foreseeable future.
However, Vowles has also claimed that no part of the Williams team is currently up to the level required to challenge for a title in 2026.
That shouldn’t come as a huge surprise given they only scored their first points of the season in Monaco.
But it suggests that the long-term project Vowles is leading is going to take even longer than some would have expected.
No part of Williams F1 team ready for 2026 title challenge – James Vowles
After finishing 7 in the Constructors’ Championship last year, Williams appear to have taken one step backwards in 2024 to have a stronger foundation to build on going forward.
Alex Albon has still been performing well and finally ended the team’s wait for a points-scoring finish on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Albon may have been left frustrated by Yuki Tsunoda but won’t be complaining too much about adding two points to his tally.
It’s hard to see his teammate Logan Sargeant surviving beyond the end of the year although he had several older parts on his car compared to Albon, leaving him at an immediate disadvantage.
This points to a bigger problem for Williams who are still trying to recover from a winter where they were only able to have the car ready for testing days before heading to Bahrain.
They were already behind when it came to the development of new and spare parts and crashes in Australia and Japan have seen them playing catch up.
While Vowles remains optimistic about Williams’s future, he admits that a 2026 title challenge is out of the question.
That’s despite having Mercedes power units at their disposal which Albon has admitted is one factor that could give them an advantage over their rivals.
Williams have work to do before returning to their former glory
Speaking about the future, Vowles said: “There is not one area of this company that I am happy we are at the level required so we can fight for a championship. Not one.
“That’s a bold statement, but a truthful statement of it as well. Weight is the one that everyone out here will understand now why we’re saying we’re on the right path, but we’ve got a lot of things we need to address and fix.
“I’ve said from the beginning, we’re open about it. We’re going to be here and take you on the journey of what we’re doing and why it’s so difficult, and why Formula 1 is exceptional.
“But we will get there. Weight is just the one that’s slapping us on the face today, but that’s not the main issue.”
An important factor ahead of next season is selecting the right teammate for Albon.
Williams are working hard to sign Carlos Sainz which would be a real coup considering his current form with Ferrari.
Vowles also wants to hire Adrian Newey after he announced his departure from Red Bull.
The veteran designer would give Williams a huge advantage over their rivals heading into 2026 and beyond.
The post ‘Not one’: Team principal admits he doesn’t believe any part of his team is ready to fight for 2026 F1 title appeared first on F1 Oversteer.