Williams failed to secure points in Barcelona last weekend, which is the first race they left have empty-handed since Bahrain.
Unlike in Bahrain, however, it was not poor Safety Car timing or a racing incident that cost the Grove-based team in Spain.
Instead, the FW47’s fundamental lack of performance was their limitation – something that hasn’t happened beforehand in 2025.
Heading into the Spanish GP, Williams knew they might encounter some difficulties.
The Barcelona venue has traditionally been the British team’s worst circuit on the calendar – at least since Pastor Maldonado’s unlikely victory in 2012.
Rather than writing off last weekend as an outlier, Alex Albon wants the team to understand why they consistently struggle at this circuit.
Albon calls for Williams to understand Spain struggles
Currently 8th in the standings (21 points ahead of Isack Hadjar in 9th), Albon is comfortably sitting in the unofficial position of ‘best of the rest’.
For the first time since leaving Red Bull, the Thai driver has been given machinery consistently fast enough to score points.
Albon has also been a regular name in Q3 this year, occasionally making himself a nuisance for the top four teams.
He went one step further in Miami, where he was legitimately faster than both Ferrari’s on race days.
Despite these feats, Williams acknowledge they still have certain shortcomings to overcome.
This is partly why their development focus has been on 2026 since the beginning of the year – recognising the need to capitalise on their superior wind tunnel time compared to front-runners.
Still, as Alex Albon explained post-race, Williams must learn from tough races like the Spanish GP if they want to progress:
“We lost out quite heavily at the beginning and were on the back foot into Turn 1.
“The cars ahead were avoiding each other, and I was the one to get hit. So we were forced onto a three-stop strategy to replace my front wing.
“I tried my best to stay out of the way in each incident, but we ended up with damage both times.
“We need to look at this track and understand why it’s such a challenge for us.
“I want us to be a top team, and it’s important to put the car to the test at tracks like this so we can learn valuable lessons and optimise our car for the future.
“Overall, I feel like I’m in a good rhythm with the car and I’m looking forward to Canada.”
Damage limitation before 2026
As mentioned previously on LWOS, Williams have admitted they might have to tweak their development approach this season.
Until recently, team principal James Vowles made clear Williams’ singular focus is directed towards the 2026 cars.
In recent weeks though, the former Mercedes engineer has changed his tune slightly.
Vowles now says Williams could bring updates to the FW47 later this year . However, they won’t test them in the wind tunnel.
This adjustment is likely due to the progression of other teams, such as Aston Martin and Sauber, in recent weeks.
Williams currently have a significant cushion in the constructors standings, sitting 26 points ahead of VCARB in 6th.
However, as rivals bring improvements, it could be difficult for the British outfit to maintain their position.
Beyond this, the biggest emphasis at the team’s factory in Grove will be investment and optimisation of their infrastructure.
Simultaneously, they are working to sign the best technical personnel and strengthen the team ahead of 2026.
Main photo: Williams media gallery
