Williams is in crisis following the rule change—former driver Juan Pablo Montoya is now calling for radical measures and would even sacrifice an entire year
Juan Pablo Montoya sees Williams in a difficult situation: To get the serious shortcomings of the 2026 car under control, the team may have to put development work for the 2027 season on the back burner. In the former Formula 1 driver’s view, Williams has little choice but to “sacrifice” the program for the year after next in order to fundamentally solve the car’s current underlying problems.
Although Williams was able to finish 2025 in a strong fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, the introduction of the new regulations for 2026 marked the beginning of a downward spiral in performance. This downward trend continued at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon were eliminated as early as Q1 and started the race from the back of the grid in 17th and 18th places.
The race itself was just as disappointing for the Grove-based team: While Sainz failed to finish due to a suspected electrical failure, Albon could not do better than 17th place.
Does Williams Need to Go “All-In”?
In a post-Grand Prix analysis for F1 TV, Montoya had strong words about the crisis facing his former team. In a conversation with host James Hinchcliffe, he expressed skepticism about the team’s chances of success at the upcoming home race at Silverstone.
According to Montoya, Williams cannot catch up to the competition without technical updates, as all other teams are continuously improving. He argued that the team must go “all-in” to close the existing gap, even if this comes at the expense of development for the following year.
“Everyone is bringing upgrades, and I feel that at some point they’ll have to say: ‘ We’re going all-in, figuring it out, bringing upgrades, and even sacrificing next year, but we have to figure out how to close this gap’,” said the Colombian.
Williams in Neverland
“And I feel sorry for them, because they’re trying. They really put all their eggs in one basket this year, and it didn’t really work out. But they have everything they need in place to be a great top team.“
”So I don’t think they’re that far away from being truly successful. As a driver, when you’re driving for them, it’s one of those teams where you think, ‘Man, if I leave, I might be missing out.’”
Williams currently sits in eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship with 11 points, 10 points behind Haas in seventh place and 9 points ahead of Audi in ninth place. The British Grand Prix takes place July 3–5 at Silverstone, where Williams will have its next chance to score points.