F1 star Alex Albon issues bleak verdict on Williams upgrades as 'DNA problems' revealed

Alexander Albon, generic, Barcelona GP, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Williams F1

Alex Albon issues bleak verdict on Williams F1 upgrades as 'DNA problems' revealed

It's not sounding positive for the Grove-based outfit

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

Thursday 6 August 2026 11:00

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At this stage of the F1 season, teams across the grid are bringing upgrades thick and fast, but Williams star Alex Albon is far from confident his team's upcoming changes will do the trick.

Team principal James Vowles has previously confirmed that the team is set to bring in weight reduction upgrades for the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23, and that the team will then have 'almost an entirely new car' for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix a month later, and they really need it.

So far, it has been a challenging year for the Grove-based outfit, who currently sit ninth in the constructors' standings with just 11 points on the board. Only Aston Martin, whose car troubles have been heavily publicised, and the new Cadillac team, have fared worse.

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More frustratingly for Williams, their stronger results (top tens for Albon at Miami and Monaco and the same for Carlos Sainz in China, Miami and Canada) came earlier in the year, with teams having surpassed them in the upgrades arms race and put them on a downward trajectory.

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Alex Albon on Williams upgrades and 'DNA problems'

With that in mind, the prospect of a 'new car' on the horizon offers hope, but, judging by Albon's comments, anyone expecting big performance improvements should temper their expectations.

“We know the weaknesses of the car, we know the directions,” Albon explained after his 17th-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix, via Motorsport.com. “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!”

Vowles: Winter 'exposed' Williams

With Albon clearly looking ahead to next season for big improvements, team principal Vowles has also confirmed that Williams are working hard to ensure they do not endure the same difficulties again in 2027.

Although Vowles has worked hard to develop the team and get Williams further up the grid, he says that last winter exposed weaknesses that remain inside the building at Grove.

"It's been an incredibly tough first half of the year," Vowles reflected in a statement following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

"First and foremost, a thank you to everyone back at base that has been diligently working tirelessly in order to get ourselves back above water after the difficult start.

"This really has set us back and we're doing what we can across this season but the reality is, what we need to do is make sure we get everything in the right place for 2027 and beyond. That's a tremendous amount of work.

"This winter really exposed everything that isn't in the right place to a level that wasn't expected."

F1 Williams Alex Albon Azerbaijan Grand Prix