James Vowles disagrees with one statement George Russell made about Williams’ potential in 2026

James Vowles is looking to lead Williams back to the front of the grid in Formula 1. He has taken a huge step towards that by signing a new long-term contract.

The Brit has put pen to paper on a new long-term extension in Grove as he hopes to guide the team back to the glory they once had in the 1980s and 1990s. Williams have not won a race since Pastor Maldonado in 2012 as they have regressed to the back of the grid in recent years.

But under Vowles’ leadership, the team have seen dramatic improvements on and off the track in 2025. Recruiting Carlos Sainz from Ferrari to partner with Alex Albon, Williams have already more than tripled their 2024 points tally as they sit fifth in the standings.

Vowles has seen a ‘palpable’ change behind the scenes as the team morale and energy are high. Their success in 2025 has come as a surprise, considering this is not where Williams are focusing their efforts.

Williams are solely focused on 2026 as they look to get a head start with the new regulations coming to the sport. Albon wants to emulate Red Bull and the success they had when transitioning to the ground-effect era in 2022.

James Vowles does not think Williams will take as big of a step forward as George Russell thinks in 2026

Williams’ progression in 2025 and developments at the factory for 2026 have led some to believe that they will be a competitive package on the grid next year. Mercedes driver George Russell, who began his career with the Grove outfit, certainly seems to think that way.

With Mercedes set to have the fastest engine in 2026, Russell talked up Williams’ ‘immense’ progress, even stating that they could be ‘the team to beat’. While Vowles felt the comments were ‘very kind’, he told The Race that he does not see his team being as strong as the Brit may think.

“I think he’s very kind, but there is a but to it,” he said. “I know how efficient Mercedes is in all the structures and systems. I know how much further forward we’re having to pull our [production] dates relative to them in order to achieve it.

“So, if you treat it as the efficiency per minute you can spend in different infrastructures, and that includes wind tunnel, we’re still not where we need to be.

“That is the simple truth behind it. But I do think you’ll see a step forward from us, because we really have put a lot of focus into what we’re doing for ’26.

“Treat it this way. It’s a clean sheet of paper and that’s why it presents opportunity.

“But the efficiencies, or the inefficiencies we still carry, which we are chomping through but not quick enough for ’26, are still there. So it’s correct, we’ll have a little bit of a head start. And with the ATR change a head start there, but not so much that others couldn’t catch up.”

READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties

Can Williams win races with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in 2026?

While Vowles does not think he will be at the very front of the grid next year, Williams’ prospects are strong. The team have proven to be the top midfield runners for most of 2025, with Vowles saying Williams have the ‘ingredients’ for podiums.

Albon has come the closest to achieving that feat with three P5 finishes thus far. Teammate Sainz has struggled in comparison, as he has shown strong qualifying performance, but has not been able to extract the maximum on Sunday.

Sainz was ‘completely frustrated’ in Canada as he could not push the car due to reliability issues. It is these problems that Vowles is referring to when he says he does not expect the team to be unbeatable.

Sainz does not think Williams can win races in 2026, stating that they are not quite ready to battle the top teams. The Grove outfit have the tools to succeed, but it is clear that they have things to iron out before they can achieve it.