Williams team boss Vowles puts rumours to bed: 'Everything is the same'

Carlos Sainz did not have the best of starts to his first season with Williams. The Spanias spun off the track in Australia early on, then eventually finished in P10 in Shanghai after three disqualifications. Team principal James Vowles has however explained there is no difference between the cars of Alex Albon and Sainz.

After the Chinese Grand Prix, reports began to suggest that the two teammates run with different equipment, and that can be an explanation for the difference in their performance. The Spaniard is said to be using a modified version of the previous chassis. So far, Albon is in fine form, collecting 16 points at the first two rounds. That is only one less the team achieved in 2024.

Vowles addresses the question

Team principal James Vowles has however dismissed all rumours. In a video by the team, the Briton explains the two drivers have identical cars. "Both Alex and Carlos are using exactly the same equipment - the same chassis, the same front wings, the same gearboxes. Everything is of the same specification and standard," he began.

About the chassis themselves, he added: "Both drivers are running an evolution of last year's chassis, so it's evolved exactly the same way, but we always intended to go through this sequence of regulation [during] the last year of the regulations, making sure that we are effectively evolving our chassis rather than redesign it from scratch." Vowles' message is that this way, Williams save money, which will be used for having more funds for their 2026 car, when the new regulations change takes place.

This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen

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