James Vowles, team principal of Williams, has announced that the weight reduction program for the FW48 will take longer than originally expected. The car is believed to be approximately 28 kilograms above the minimum weight limit, and the team will now need around six races to address the issue—double the time initially estimated after the Bahrain pre-season tests.
At the Australian Grand Prix, which marked the race debut for all 2026 Formula 1 cars, the FW48 clearly showed several areas of difficulty. One of the main issues is related to the use of the Mercedes power unit. The team led by James Vowles, just like McLaren, has struggled to find the optimal way to extract the best performance from it, losing a significant portion of the potential advantage offered by the mechanical and electrical package developed at Brixworth.
“In Australia we needed qualifying to truly understand how far behind we are in terms of power unit management. It’s probably around three tenths, roughly in that range. Then I think that when you only have one car on track, it’s not ideal. You need both cars running to really begin comparing them and understand how to manage the energy deployment,” James Vowles said after the race at Albert Park.
However, the most important piece of the puzzle explaining Williams’ struggles is, in fact, the car’s weight.
“This has been a small disadvantage that we’ve had. In reality, most of the problems are related to the weight of the FW48.”
The British cars will therefore have to face the opening races with a handicap revealed both by the scales and by the lap times. The Budget Cap, which has been in place in Formula 1 for several seasons, forces the team’s engineers to carefully plan when to introduce lighter components. This ensures that financial resources are not wasted on parts that would soon be replaced by further upgrades during the season.
“Reducing the weight of the car is not complicated. I have plenty of emails explaining not only how to reduce it, but even how to go well below the minimum weight. That possibility exists for us. If this were a world without the Cost Cap, I would start tomorrow. It would be done in a few weeks, but that’s not the case.”
“So we have to plan it according to when these components reach the end of their life and when we will introduce updates later in the season. It adds complexity, but it’s a good complexity. Overall, the Cost Cap is still very positive,” James Vowles continued.
The negative aspect, however, is that this weight-loss program will take longer than initially expected. In fact, the timeline has effectively doubled. A few weeks ago, Vowles had stated that it would take about three Grands Prix to bring the FW48 down to the minimum weight limit. After the Australian Grand Prix, that estimate has now been revised to six races.
“It’s difficult to give an exact number of races in which we’ll be able to intervene, but let’s say around six races. Roughly in that range. So quite a long time.”
“If it were twenty kilograms (in reality it should be around 28, so much closer to thirty, ed.), the effect would already be significant. But actually, it’s even more than that. The reason is that it’s not just the effect of the mass itself. When people calculate the number, they don’t consider the changes in ride height.”
“They also don’t take into account the impact this has on energy recovery, which depends partly on the minimum speed at the apex of the corner, and that is influenced by the weight. So the overall effect is even greater.”
As Williams works through its logistical and financial puzzle, the early part of the 2026 season will likely be a test of patience for both the team and its drivers. Every kilogram shed will be a hard-won battle within the factory, with the ultimate goal of finally unleashing the true potential of their Mercedes-powered package by the time the European season is in full swing.
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