The journey from the back of the grid to the front in Formula 1 isn't for the faint of heart. Gains typically come in increments while behemoths like Red Bull or Mercedes usually sprint out to a massive head start. It's a mighty challenge, but there's a sense within Williams Racing that it may only be a matter of time before it's fighting among the top titans again.
The man tasked with leading Williams' resurgence is team principal James Vowles, the former Mercedes strategy director who's already stated 2025 may be a struggle despite Williams' encouraging trajectory under his leadership. For Vowles, the real push toward the front begins in 2026, when F1's new regulations come into play, with hopes of fighting for wins by 2028.
"I think it's really '27 and '28, where you'll see the proper chunks of step forwards that allow us to be fighting in and amongst the top teams and more regularly appearing in a position where you can sort of recognize Williams as one of the prime competitors in that situation," Vowles told theScore, in his second full year leading Williams. "So, vague on purpose, because we have to acknowledge that the sport is some of the best individuals in the world all fighting against each other. But '26 is the start of that journey, probably to the front."
Williams battling for victories might as well be folklore for people newer to the sport. It's been 12 years since Williams' last win and 27 since its last championship. But don't be fooled: the brand was once a dominant powerhouse that ruled the sport for stretches of the 1980s and '90s.
How to revive Williams consumes Vowles' mind. Why not simply copy the front-runners and expedite the process? A fair question, but success is nearly always dictated by the innovators and not the replicators in Formula 1.
"What's on McLaren's car or on Red Bull's car was in their head maybe 20 weeks ago, nearly six months ago," Vowles explained. "So, you're copying something that's six months out of date, and the development rates in Formula 1 (are) so rapid, you can see it already, we've gone from the back to towards the front of the midfield in a short space of time. McLaren have gone from towards the back towards the front in a short space of time.
"But if you're copying ideas six months ago, you have two problems," he continued. "One, you're six months out of date, which means you're typically at the back of the grid. Two, you don't understand what led towards those concepts. You can get a moment in time but not continued performance from it, as well, at the same time. And (it's) the continued performance that allows you to win. As with every elite sport, you need to make sure that you're not copying the leading edge, but you're defining the leading edge. And that takes a lot of work, a lot of infrastructure, a lot of people to be in place. But that's the journey we're on and we're getting a reward for it already."
The first step in Williams' plan was structural changes behind the scenes. The once family-run team struggled for years as backmarkers, fighting shorthanded against the inevitability of titans like Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, largely due to lacking proper infrastructure, resources, and governance.
"It was extraordinary - in a positive way - that we were so reliant on individuals working together so closely to get the job done," Vowles explained. "You'd see people carrying around pieces with them to make sure - 'This piece is important, I'm going to get this done.' But when you have 20,000 pieces, you can see how it breaks down very quickly. So, it needs structure behind it that didn't exist previously."
One recent fix leading to a surge in momentum was the insertion of rookie sensation Franco Colapinto in place of struggling and crash-prone Logan Sargeant before the Sept. 1 Italian Grand Prix. It took only two races before Colapinto made Q3 and scored points, something Sargeant rarely accomplished.
What impressed Vowles most about Colapinto wasn't his stunning pace, which was already confirmed prior to his arrival. (A solid showing in FP1 in Silverstone and the fact his simulator time matched Alex Albon brought belief Colapinto was legitimate.) What left Vowles in awe was how the rookie dealt with adversity.
"Actually, what surprised me is in Baku, he had an accident," Vowles said, referring to Colapinto's crash into the barrier in his first practice session. "I was expecting an accident; it's going to happen. What surprised me is how he recovered from that, how he compartmentalized it and went back into FP2 and put the car within milliseconds of (Albon). That impressed me. To have the composure at 21 to deal with a large incident and get straight back in the car, put it behind you, modulate what you're doing driving wise in order to be back on the money - that's impressive."
The Argentine's arrival gives Williams a dilemma few could have imagined even a year ago: a surplus of proven drivers. Colapinto won't have a race seat in 2025, with Vowles luring three-time race winner Carlos Sainz on a multi-year deal to partner with Albon, who also inked an extension.
Sainz's arrival is new territory for reimagined Williams. The Spaniard's the first driver with multiple Grand Prix wins to join the team since Felipe Massa in 2014. Sainz's addition from Ferrari combined with Albon's commitment is proof to Vowles that Williams is on the right path.
"I think we have - I still maintain it - the best driver lineup on the grid going forward for what we need here in Williams. There's no politics. I have two drivers that want to push the team forward," Vowles said. "But what it really tells you: the fact Alex signed his career here, the fact Carlo signed his career here, they believe in what we're doing as a journey, they understand what we're doing as a journey. And definitely what you can say is: it's not the Williams of a few years ago. This is a serious contender for moving forward up the grid."
Vowles' warning shot is no exaggeration. Williams seemed like a minnow in a shark-infested sport in seasons prior but the same can't be said today. With its best driver lineup in ages secured, a hot commodity like Colapinto in reserve, and structural mistakes of the past rectified, the once-formidable unit feels like a sleeping giant preparing to rise up again.