Williams outline huge scale of F1 recovery after '20 seasons of underinvestment'

Williams team principal James Vowles has detailed he is attempting to fix “20 seasons of underinvestment” in an effort to bring the squad back to a competitive position in F1.

Vowles took over as team principal in early 2024 and his first season in charge saw Williams endure a challenging campaign en route to ninth in the standings.

However, the Grove-based squad took a step forward this year and ended the season fifth in the championship - its best result since 2017.

Vowles described that his work to bring the team back to its glory years involves systems changes at the core of its operations.

“It's primarily making steps behind the scenes,” Vowles exclusively told RacingNews365. “There are ERP tools, but they're not working as effectively as I need them to. 

“There are simulation tools, but they are not working as effectively as I need them to. There is data now, but it's definitely not linked the way I want it to. 

“All of those should be, by the end of next year, at least have a proper construct behind them which then unlocks performance.”

Naturally, Williams is targeting further improvements up the order in the years to come and has an opportunity next year when fresh technical regulations come into play.

The bare minimum for Vowles, however, is to ensure it does not end up slipping into the bottom half of the order after making tangible gains in 2025.

“In terms of the constructors' championship, we've made a good step this year,” he said. “My absolute goal is not to go backwards from here. 

“It's a ratcheting position where fifth is the minimum I would set going forward. I think that's realistic, I think that's achievable.”

Williams, like the rest of the teams on the F1 grid, is starting from a blank page when it comes to the design of the 2026 car.

While the rules reset may play into the hands of other teams and not Williams, Vowles is confident his squad is putting itself in a strong position to be competitive in the years to come.

“The amount of work people are putting in, that pays dividends, and I'm seeing the output of that,” Vowles stated.

“You don't know what competitors are doing, you have no idea. 

“What I do know is that we do constant feedback loops of what would we have done differently six months ago with the knowledge we have today?

“Thus far, we wouldn't have changed the decisions we would have made. That might be because we're completely blind and naive, or it might be that we've made a good set of decisions that will just create the foundation.”

Williams last won a grand prix in 2012 while its most recent title success came in 1997, almost 30 years ago.

When asked when he will be happy with the systems in place that he believes will catapult it into a title-winning position, Vowles replied: “2028, that's the roadmap that we've sketched out. 

“I know it sounds extraordinary, but it is 20 seasons worth of underinvestment that I'm trying to undo, and it's not done in three years.”