Williams boss James Vowles explains why he has ‘mixed emotions’ after already equalling 2024 F1 points tally

Williams have enjoyed a strong start to the 2025 Formula 1 season. It is a sharp contrast to how they performed last year.

The Grove-based outfit had a torrid 2024 season, amassing just 17 points. Multiple accidents hampered their progress with Logan Sargeant being sacked mid-season and replaced by Franco Colapinto.

While the Argentine was significantly closer to Alex Albon than Sargeant was, he was also crash-prone, costing the team millions in damages. Williams finished 2024 P9 in the constructors’ championship, only ahead of Sauber by 13 points.

Therefore, it is impressive that after two races in 2025, the team have already equalled last year’s tally. Albon finished an incredible P5 at the Australian Grand Prix while he and Carlos Sainz bagged points at the Chinese Grand Prix in seventh and 10th respectively.

Williams’ start to the season is credit to the brilliant work James Vowles has done behind the scenes. The team principal has made huge strides forward to bring the Grove outfit back to the front of the grid.

Williams are focusing on 2026 but they have already proven they have potential in 2025. However, Vowles is not getting too ahead of himself after the first two races.

James Vowles has ‘mixed emotions’ about Williams equalling 2024 points tally due to tight midfield battle

Williams sit fourth in the standings level on points with Ferrari heading into the Japanese Grand Prix. As Vowles rightfully pointed out on the Williams YouTube channel, the likes of Haas and Aston Martin are not far behind.

Racing Bulls have also been close to the Grove outfit with both cars outqualifying Albon and Sainz in Shanghai. The tight midfield battle gives Vowles ‘mixed emotions’ about equalling last year’s points haul already as he knows Williams need ‘every millisecond’ to stay ahead.

He is also reminded of how poor the team were in 2024 – but 17 points in two races in 2025 should stand as an incredible achievement: “It feels great to have equalled last year’s points tally. Actually I have mixed emotions though.”

“First of all, it reminded me of how little points we scored in 2024. It also tells me the following: it’s a very close fight right now in the championship.

“You can see actually in the points table, whilst we’ve done well, Haas have a good number of points, Aston have a good number of points and we’ve been outqualified or at least had VCARB near us at both of these events.

“And it is a stark reminder that we need absolutely every millisecond available to us to be competing ahead of that incredibly difficult midfield battle.”

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Alex Albon has the upper hand over Carlos Sainz so far in 2025

Vowles has constantly talked up his driver line-up after adding Sainz to the team from Ferrari. Williams now have two leaders capable of pushing everyone to the limit to bring the team success.

Many are expecting the Spaniard to get the better of Albon given he is a four-time race winner and has experience of building teams back up like McLaren and Ferrari. David Coulthard feels 2025 will ‘make or break’ Albon as he now has tough competition on the other side of the garage.

However, the Thai driver clearly has the advantage. While he finished fifth in Melbourne, his teammate crashed on lap one under the safety car but Sainz did aid Albon’s strategy from the pits, playing a key role in the result.

The Spaiard struggled for pace in Shanghai as he failed to reach Q3 like Albon and came across the line 13th. Sainz only scored a point because the Ferraris and Pierre Gasly were disqualified after the race.

It should perhaps have been expected that the 30-year-old would have a slow start at Williams as he is still getting used to the environment. But Ted Kravitz noticed Sainz has a problem after he claimed ‘I’m faster than this’ over his radio.