Can Williams Hold Their Constructor's Ranking Until the End?
After their greatest season start in years, 2025 was shaping up to be the comeback season for Williams Racing. Getting an early jump on their rivals and taking fifth place in the Constructors’ Standings gave the impression that team principal James Vowles was making good on his promise of bringing the team back to its glory days. When he set his sights on 2026 to prepare for the upcoming changes in the hopes of chasing championships again, it looked like the other mid-to-back-of-the-grid teams would follow suit, and Williams could cruise to the end of the season in their fifth-place spot. Unfortunately, they’ve instead been met by a string of misfortune, and with their rivals introducing late-stage upgrades, they stand to lose that spot in the few remaining races.
Fifth place is a valuable spot for any team hoping to be a championship contender. Not only does it reassure their current sponsors that the team is making progress, but it also looks appealing to potential new sponsors looking to advertise on a championship team; the influx of money, in turn, helps the team breach the upper echelons of a sport with a heavy financial sink. It’s vital for Williams to maintain that spot to justify their partnership with Atlassian, a tech company partially responsible for updating the software the team utilizes behind the scenes. Going into the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Williams only holds a 29-point lead over Racing Bulls, the Red Bull Racing junior team. There are only three races remaining in the season, but enough points are still on the table for Racing Bulls to overtake Williams for fifth.
Vegas promises to be a fresh weekend for the veteran team; however, a significant reason for their recent mediocrity stems from the penalties they incurred in previous races. Carlos Sainz, who joined Williams earlier this year, has been subject to and caused several collisions over the past few races. He took several penalties that carried over into later races, and this will be the first time in several weeks that he’ll enter a race on a clean slate. Despite the penalties he’s faced, Sainz has proven to be worth the effort that Vowles went through to acquire him, achieving the team’s first podium since 2017 in Azerbaijan. Alex Albon has also faced some unfortunate circumstances in recent races, but has scored the majority of the points for Williams this season, and generally has a fast pace under normal circumstances. Things were getting hairy for Williams, but the new weekend should give them the opportunity to maintain their lead.
