Williams entered the 2024 Formula 1 season aiming to build on the modest progress of 2023 under new team principal James Vowles with cautious optimism and a hefty chunk of realism about being a midfield runner rather than a contender for wins or titles. The team’s FW46 carried a striking new livery blending deep blue with heritage accents, cementing the link to Williams’ championship past and future aspirations, alongside a renewed technical partnership with Komatsu and other sponsors.
On track, Williams struggled to consistently extract competitive performance from the FW46. The car was frequently hampered by weight and handling issues, while reliability problems and crashes punctuated many grands prix, preventing sustained progress and leading to frustrating weekends. These challenges combined to limit the team’s results and hinder development momentum throughout the season.
Points were hard-fought and relatively scarce. A standout performance occurred at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Alex Albon delivered the team’s best result of the year with a seventh-place finish, and, after a poor run of results & costly errors by Sargeant, Franco Colapinto was drafted in as replacement and impressed with eighth in only his second Grand Prix, securing Williams’ most valuable haul of the year.
Williams’ mid-season driver lineup change to bring in Colapinto reflected its long-standing commitment to developing young talent through its Academy – a programme that enjoyed success in junior categories during 2024.
Overall, Williams finished ninth in the Constructors’ Championship with 17 points, closing the year with a clearer picture of areas needing improvement and a foundation to build on for future regulation changes. While lacking headline results, the season was marked by resilience and flashes of promise that hinted at a potential resurgence.
Heading in the right direction!
