Williams is rolling out a massive upgrade package for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, featuring an almost completely new car design that includes a lighter chassis and numerous aerodynamic tweaks. As Motorsport.com reports, team boss James Vowles previously promised this extensive revision earlier in the season, though its ultimate impact on performance and 2027 development remains to be seen.
The FW48 had a difficult birth, finishing late and missing the pre-season shakedown after failing initial crash tests. That left the machine heavily penalized by excess weight, starting the year at least 20kg over the minimum limit. While a floor and front wing package introduced in Miami helped pull the car closer to its intended baseline, the team's updates have otherwise been sparse and focused primarily on weight saving to protect the budget cap.
Obviously all the lack of development of the year had accumulated until that point and now we bring something that is more in line with what we should have started the year with,
Now, the focal point of the Baku package is entirely hidden beneath the bodywork. The mandatory FIA presentation document details a host of aerodynamic updates to the floor, tail assembly, brake ducts, and rear suspension geometry, but the real prize is a brand new chassis built with substantial lightweighting measures.
Alex Albon described the package as a big step, noting that the removal of excess weight guarantees lap time gains regardless of how the new aero performs. "Obviously we've been carrying a substantial weight penalty this year so far, and I think going into this weekend we've got ballast on the car," Albon said. Yet he remains realistic about the fierce midfield pace, adding that "it's not a magnitude that can outpace the midfield at the minute."
Team-mate Carlos Sainz offered a similarly grounded perspective on the new parts. Sainz, who secured a podium for Williams in Baku last year, pointed out that the update is merely bringing the car to where it should have been at the start of the season rather than offering a transformative leap forward.
"Obviously all the lack of development of the year had accumulated until that point and now we bring something that is more in line with what we should have started the year with," Sainz said, recalling a difficult weekend in Madrid where the team struggled significantly off the pace. "So we're still carrying the deficit and the issues of the winter and it will take all the way until next year, even halfway through next year to get to a performance level where I think it's reasonable and where the team can show the capacity."
