Deal marks landmark gear change for Williams: Now the pressure intensifies

Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. It actually sounds like one of the best pairings on the grid. Perhaps not quite as strong as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris on paper, but it certainly has the potential to reach those levels. Sainz is a proven Grand Prix winner who can mix it with the best. Albon has made huge strides during his time at Williams and is still tipped as one of the best of his generation. His teammate duel against Sainz will be one of the most-watched pieces of data in 2025.

It is a significant step up from what Williams has become known for over recent years. Currently, Albon is doing a good job of leading the team. But he simply does not find the support from Sargeant, who has missed the mark frequently. Nicholas Latifi found himself in a similar position to Sargeant in 2021 and 2022. And before him: Sergey Sirotkin. 

George Russell was a serious young talent inside the Williams cockpit, but it was merely used as a stepping stone to Mercedes. Robert Kubica had a good CV but just couldn’t reach his old potential upon his return to Formula 1.

Williams make a landmark change

For 2025 and more importantly 2026, Williams will have two drivers in the car who will be hitting the peak of their careers. Neither are using Williams as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Neither are using Williams simply just to stay in F1 and see their careers out. Neither are there just to bring in sponsorship money. Albon and Sainz are the real deal, with serious aspirations of podiums, race wins and even World Championships.

But one (possible) slight setback: Williams will be a customer team when the new engine regulations are introduced. The recent list of Grands Prix winners and World Champions shows just how hard it is to be successful as a customer team, though McLaren have provided some hope in the last 12 months. 

That being said, Williams will continue to use the Mercedes engine. The noises coming out of the Mercedes camp suggest positive things are on the way, with some even suggesting a repeat of 2014 could be on the cards. Albon himself spoke about the Mercedes engine, which gave him a reason to stay with Williams. Nothing has yet been confirmed, but at this stage, you’d think Mercedes is the best place to be if you’re going to be a customer team.

Vowles himself has also hinted at significant arrivals in the technical department to help push Williams forward. 

What does this mean for Williams?

It means expectation. Expectation equals pressure. All of these ingredients suggest that Vowles is cooking up something special. Something that will raise the eyebrows of their rivals. Now there are no excuses. There is an expectation of having to perform and yield results. The pressure will be on in 2026 as Williams enter a brand new era.