Williams sees mixed first results from Baku upgrade
Williams introduced a long-awaited upgrade package in Azerbaijan and showed signs of progress, but the weekend also underlined that its full impact is still unclear. The team reached Q3 for the first time in 2026 and scored points for the first time since Monaco, while also suffering a crash for Alex Albon and a grid penalty for Carlos Sainz.
Azerbaijan was an important weekend for Williams because it finally introduced a long-awaited upgrade package. The update was described as a significant step, including weight-saving changes, and it delivered visible gains in both qualifying and the race.
Williams reached Q3 for the first time in 2026, although Carlos Sainz did not start from there because of a grid penalty. The team also scored points for the first time since Monaco, though that result came with some fortune.
At the same time, the Baku weekend was not straightforward. Alex Albon crashed out, and the overall outcome was described as mixed, with the true scale of the improvement still to be judged by the races to come.
In this story
Sources (3)
Summaries are synthesized by F1 Hub from the linked sources. Follow the links above to read the full reporting at each outlet.