Williams endured a challenging Japanese Grand Prix, lacking the pace to compete with the midfield and finishing outside the points with both cars. But despite the result, the team leaves Suzuka with a clearer understanding of its 2026 challenger — and a determination to use the upcoming five‑week break to accelerate development.
Alex Albon finished 20th after spending most of the race in traffic, turning his afternoon into a rolling test session. “I was in traffic for the race so nothing really happened to me and it turned into a bit of a test session as we wanted to try a few things on the front wing to understand it a bit better and have some data,” he explained.
Despite the lack of pace, Albon praised the team’s effort. “The car is feeling okay for what we have and the team has been working really hard to get it into a good position in these three weeks.”
He also acknowledged the reality of Williams’ current performance level. “Realistically we are achieving what we can achieve and executing our races as best as we can but we just need to get on top of some issues and get a bit more speed in the car.”
The long break before Miami offers a crucial window. “We have a lot of work to do but we have about five weeks now as a team so there’s a lot that we can improve and I think this is going to benefit us so that we can come back stronger in Miami.”
Sainz: “We got absolutely everything we could out of the car.”
Carlos Sainz finished 15th after a clean race and well‑timed pit stop under the Safety Car — one of the few strategic positives for Williams. The Spaniard was satisfied with his execution. “We got absolutely everything we could out of the car in the race today.”
He highlighted strong fundamentals despite the lack of pace. “Also, another solid start and good pitstop timing meant we did our best possible race, so I’m satisfied with that.”
Sainz believes the team is beginning to understand the 2026 regulations more deeply. “The team and I are working well to understand this car and these regulations, and I feel like we’re going into this early break ready to make some real progress on the car’s performance.”
Like Albon, he stressed the importance of the upcoming development window. “We have to make sure we maximise these five weeks and head into Miami in a better position for the season ahead.”
He also expressed relief after Ollie Bearman’s violent crash. “Last but not least, very happy that Ollie is OK after that big impact.”
Vowles: “It was a painful day… a line in the sand.”
Team Principal James Vowles did not sugarcoat the situation. “We need to maximise these next five weeks in front of us. It was a painful day today, and I want to make it a line in the sand and make sure we add performance every race going forward this year and fight back towards a point-scoring position every weekend.”
He praised both drivers for flawless execution under difficult circumstances. “Well done to Carlos, it was a faultless drive and he did everything he could but that’s just where the car is today. And well done to Alex, he drove perfectly and then completed a test programme that will be invaluable for us for future learning.”
The next phase will be intense. “These next five weeks will be some of the hardest for us, purposefully so, as we dig deep and make sure that we come back with a car in Miami that is worthy of scoring points.”
Vowles also addressed Bearman’s crash with personal concern.
