Ahead of the 2026 F1 Miami GP, Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz addressed the FW48’s weight issues, the upgrade package brought to Miami, while also highlighting that the team will need time to improve its package.
The cancellation of rounds in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain gave F1 teams time to analyze their performance across the opening rounds, pinpoint weak points in their packages, and work on upgrades to improve performance. As one of the teams that started the 2026 F1 season on the back foot, Williams, along with drivers Albon and Sainz, made good use of the break by pushing to bring their first upgrade package to this weekend’s F1 Miami GP.
The break ahead of the 2026 F1 Miami GP, gave Williams time to initiate first steps towards improvement
During his print media session, Williams driver Alex Albon said the break gave the team time to take the first steps towards improvement, which resulted in the upgrade package being brought in just in time for the 2026 F1 Miami GP.
“I think for every team it’s been a great use of time. Three races, three different circuits with different styles. A real opportunity for us to assess where the true weaknesses of our car are and where we need to improve.
“A great reaction from the team. In five weeks, you cannot do that much, to be honest with you, but we’ve made some initial steps. The upgrade this weekend has been tight to make it on time, but we’ve made it.”
However, Williams didn’t just push to bring an upgrade package to the FF1 Miami GP. The team also used the break to plan ahead and get “a better understanding” of what is needed to improve overall, says Albon.
“And then a lot of it has been the planning process of what do we need to do in the next 6, 7, 8 months to make sure we get back to where we were last year, for example.
“We still have work, and I think we can’t kill ourselves. There’s a gap between us and the P8 team so let’s see. But I think as a team, this break has given us a better understanding of what we actually need to improve as a team, not just in terms of balance, but in terms of factory as well.”
Albon on the balancing act of reducing weight and improving the aerodynamics of the FW48
Since the start of the 2026 F1 season, Williams has faced numerous issues, including ones that have even prevented the team from participating in the Barcelona Shakedown. One of the performance-hampering issues identified early on is the FW48’s weight. As one of the heaviest cars on the current grid, reducing the car’s weight will be one of the key areas for Williams to focus on in the coming months.
Asked whether prioritizing weight reduction would impact Williams’ development plan, Albon responded: “Yes.” The Thai driver explained that, to improve lap time, they prioritize the car’s weight as a limiting, identifiable factor over other less identifiable factors, such as aerodynamics. However, due to the budget cap, Albon feels that Williams will have to “balance” their efforts between weight reduction measures and aerodynamic improvements. According to Albon, this balancing act was precisely the focus for Williams during the break ahead of the Miami GP.
“In many ways, it’s just lap time. You’re chasing lap time. There is a huge current in the weight of the car, so you prioritize a lot of weight areas.
“Weight is a known factor, unlike aero, which can have question marks on. It’s almost like you have two programs working together, and in a cost-cap world, you have to be very selective of how you achieve it.
“When I talked about the planning and the structuring of it, that’s where all of the five weeks were spent. It’s not as simple as our car is on weight and we just focus on aero. We do have to balance both areas.”
Carlos Sainz believes Williams will need time to reduce weight
In the FIA drivers’ press conference ahead of the 2026 F1 Miami GP, Carlos Sainz echoed teammate Albon’s statement on balancing aerodynamic and weight-reducing upgrades.
Sainz adds that Williams’ weight issue will be harder to address and that the team will need time to resolve it. The Spaniard hopes that during the later stages of the 2026 season, the team will be able to take larger steps towards improving their package.
“Some of them should be visible, and then others will be focused on weight. But the weight is a tougher job that will take again almost the whole year to get all the extra weight we have in this car to get it out of the way.
“So, it’s going to be more small steps, but hopefully later in the season we will have bigger steps. And yeah, up until then, it will be a combination of aero, weight, just trying to improve the situation. But as I said before, I think the bigger steps are going to come later in the year.”
