Williams Racing is a historic Formula 1 team, active since 1977, that competes in 2026 with Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz.

Williams showed in 2025 that it can still fight near the front, but it remains unclear how competitive the team will be in 2026 due to the major regulation changes.

All teams start from scratch under the new rules, making it difficult to predict the pecking order. One potential advantage for Williams is its continued use of Mercedes power units, which are widely regarded as strong.

With experienced drivers like Albon and Sainz, along with team principal James Vowles, Williams has the tools in place to build a competitive package.

Williams made a clear step forward in 2025, finishing fifth in the constructors’ championship — its best result since 2017.

Carlos Sainz secured two podium finishes, in Azerbaijan and Qatar. These were the team’s first podiums under normal race conditions since 2017.

Albon and Sainz finished eighth and ninth in the drivers’ standings with 73 and 64 points respectively.

Williams was founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. The team quickly rose to success, with Alan Jones winning the drivers’ title in 1980 and Williams securing the constructors’ championship.

Further success followed in the 1980s and early 1990s, with multiple titles and dominant seasons.

Williams partnered with Honda in the 1980s, leading to more titles. Later, a successful collaboration with Renault in the early 1990s resulted in championships for drivers like Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost.

In 1994, the team experienced tragedy when Ayrton Senna lost his life during the San Marino Grand Prix.

After key departures and engine changes, Williams experienced a decline in performance. A partnership with BMW in the early 2000s brought some improvement, but success was inconsistent.

With Mercedes engines from 2014, the team returned to the podium and finished third in the constructors’ championship. However, difficult seasons followed, including a major downturn in 2018.

After the takeover by Dorilton Capital and the departure of the Williams family, the team began rebuilding. Founder Sir Frank Williams passed away in 2021.

A low point in 2025 came in Singapore, where both Albon and Sainz were disqualified from qualifying due to issues with their rear wings.

They were allowed to start the race from the pit lane. Sainz recovered to score a point, while Albon finished outside the top ten.

Williams uses Mercedes power units in 2026.

Since 2022, the team has increasingly relied on Mercedes components, allowing it to focus more on developing its own chassis and improving performance.

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