Steiner says Williams are 'going backwards' under Vowles in brutal assessment

Coming off the back of a P5 finish in the Constructors standings in 2025 - which saw Carlos Sainz secure two Grand Prix podiums in his debut season - and into a new era of F1 regulations, hopes were high that Williams could be on their way back to the very front of the F1 grid. Ever since missing the Barcelona shakedown in pre-season, however, it has become clear the British team still have an awful lot of work to do.

After securing points finishes in four of the six opening rounds of the 2026 season. Williams have gone on a barren run since the Barcelona GP, with driver duo Alex Albon and Sainz finishing P17 and P18, respectively, at the Hungarian GP last time out. Matters have been made worse by Aston Martin's introduction of a significant upgrade package in Hungary, with the Silverstone team seemingly leapfrogging their compatriots, and set to introduce their first power unit upgrade upon F1's return at Zandvoort.

Speaking on the Red Flags Podcast, former F1 boss Steiner said he believes the clock is potentially ticking on Vowles' time at Williams, with the Italian arguing the team are "going backwards" under the former Mercedes chief strategist.

As ever, Steiner weighed up the situation at Williams with the degree of sarcasm and humour F1 fans have become well accustomed to since his tenure as Haas team principal. He said:“As much as I think he’s not doing a good job, I think you need to at least give him time to read all his emails.

Asked for a deadline on when Vowles should have turned things around for Williams, Steiner believes the 47-year-old could be dismissed after five or six races into the 2027 season if the team have not improved.

Steiner said: "I think at the beginning of next season, if it’s the same as this season. I think they went into spam, or were deleted, these emails, and he needs to go then.

“They promised us at the beginning of the season, ‘We will be back; we know exactly what to do'. Guess what? They’re going backwards instead of forwards at the moment. All the progress is in the wrong direction," Steiner concluded.