The 2025 season marked a clear step forward for the Williams F1 Team as it continued its rebuild under Team Principal James Vowles. Significant off-season momentum was built with the signing of Carlos Sainz, a three-time Grand Prix winner joining long-time team stalwart Alex Albon – a pairing Vowles described as one of the strongest on the grid. The team also secured a major title partnership with Atlassian, bringing increased resources and visibility to Grove’s efforts.
On track, the result was Williams’ best Constructors’ Championship finish in eight years, securing fifth place in a highly competitive midfield pack. The combination of improved reliability and race pace helped the team consistently score points throughout the season.
Sainz delivered two podium finishes – including a strong third in Azerbaijan and another third in Qatar -highlighting his ability to extract performance from the FW47 and underlining the value of his experience.
Meanwhile Albon enjoyed what many described as his best season yet, regularly scoring points and finishing ahead of Sainz in the drivers’ standings, with a string of top ten finishes only marred by three consecutive DNFs in Spain/Canada/Austria.
While both drivers suffered a number of retirements and a few technical setbacks – including a double qualifying disqualification in Singapore – the overall upward trend was obvious.
Williams’ improvement in 2025 was widely recognised across the paddock, with rivals noting they are no longer a “dark horse” but a solid midfield contender. The season’s results not only boosted team morale but provided a stronger platform heading into 2026, where, with the great regulation reset TM, and powered by the same PU as the title winners, the team has a great opportunity to build on this resurgence.
Ninth in 2024, Fifth in 2025 – will we see even better in 2026? Dare we dream?!
