After coming in fifth last year, Williams has slipped down the field, and has often been ahead only of Cadillac and Aston Martin\u2014and the latter stepped up with its Hungary upgrade package and jumped in front again. Williams has an update package of its own for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next month, although both Albon and Sainz have suggested that it won\u2019t be as significant as that deployed by Aston Martin.<\/p>\n
Despite a frustrating season, Albon still has faith in the team and its boss James Vowles, and he sees a bigger picture of improvement since he joined in 2022. \u201cI think one tough year doesn’t paint a full picture of the story that I’ve had with Williams, and I’ve seen progress year-to-year,\u201d Albon said. \u201cOf course, it’s been a frustrating year so far, but it doesn’t make me not believe in this team, and its ambitions, and what I believe the team can achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Peter Fox\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
The driver is adamant that this year\u2019s struggles will ultimately benefit the team. \u201cEven though it’s been a tough year, the response of the team back at the factory, and the work that’s been put in to understand our issues, has been huge. In many ways, it has felt like we’ve needed this tough moment to really accelerate some of the aggressive plans to fix some core problems within the car that have plagued us for years,\u201d he said. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen the team sink their teeth into something so aggressively in the way they have this year, so I really do believe we’re going to find the reasons why we’ve been going through these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
So where might we see changes behind the wheel in 2027? We\u2019re not expecting any big surprises at the top four teams, with Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull all set to continue with the same lineups\u2014although there are still lingering doubts about whether Max Verstappen wants to commit to another season at RBR under the current rules<\/a>. (If he decides to depart, the market will be turned on its head.)<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Audi\u2019s drivers have yet to be confirmed, but sticking with Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg would be the logical scenario. There\u2019s rather less certainty at Haas, where Ollie Bearman looks secure but there are question marks over Esteban Ocon\u2019s seat; McLaren prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Leonardo Fornaroli has already tested for the U.S.-owned team, and has to be in the frame.<\/p>\n Franco Colapinto has yet to be confirmed at Alpine, but the Argentine driver\u2019s improved form in 2026\u2014and the commercial package that he brings\u2014will work in his favor. That said, Fernando Alonso has been linked with a return to Alpine and his mentor Flavio Briatore for what would be his fourth stint at the Enstone camp, should he decide not to stay at Aston Martin.<\/p>\n NurPhoto\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n If Alonso does move (or, more likely, retire), it would leave open what could be a surprisingly attractive seat. A few weeks ago, Aston wouldn\u2019t have appealed to any driver on the grid, but the Hungary updates showed that the team is now heading in the right direction<\/a>, and it\u2019s not hard to draw the conclusion that the 2027 Adrian Newey\u2013Honda package will represent a much bigger step.<\/p>\n But big enough to attract a superstar? It\u2019s worth noting that over the past six seasons, Lawrence Stroll has employed just two drivers as team mates to his son Lance, namely multiple world champions Sebastian Vettel and Alonso. He would want to replace the latter with a proven winner, and it\u2019s a limited list\u2014and one could speculate that Sainz is one of the few potentially available drivers who might fit the bill.<\/p>\n As ever, anything can happen at Racing Bulls. Both current drivers are scoring well, but F2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov has some momentum within the Red Bull camp. If the decision is made to promote the Bulgarian, then Liam Lawson is likely to be more vulnerable on the basis that he\u2019s already had a chance at senior team RBR, while Arvid Lindblad is still getting better and better in what is his first season.<\/p>\n![\"F1](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ddc1c284-1bf4-40aa-836c-e445c8bb4a49.jpeg\" "\\"F1")
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