Guenther Steiner questioned James Vowles’ continuation in charge of Williams after the team’s performance drop in the 2026 Formula 1 season. For the former Haas boss, the Grove team is regressing and may make changes if the situation does not improve at the start of next year.
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Williams finished 2025 in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, a season in which Carlos Sainz achieved two podiums in his first year with the team. The expectation was for further progress with the regulation change, but the team reached the midpoint of the current championship only in ninth position.
After scoring points in four of the first six rounds, Williams has not finished in the top ten since the Barcelona GP. At the Hungarian GP, Alexander Albon and Sainz crossed the finish line in 17th and 18th, respectively. The situation became even more delicate after Aston Martin presented a comprehensive upgrade package and apparently surpassed the British rival.
During a participation in the Red Flags podcast, Steiner assessed that Vowles needs to provide answers within a relatively short timeframe. In a sarcastic tone, the Italian said the manager should still be given time to “read all the emails” and find solutions by the end of the year.
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“Even though I think he is not doing a good job, at least he needs to be given time to read all the emails. He received them at the beginning of the year, he knows what to do, but he hasn’t had time to read them yet. So, let him read and find a solution by the end of the year,” he said.
When asked about a possible deadline for a reaction, Steiner pointed to the first five or six races of 2027. “If it continues as it is, there will be changes. He will have had enough time to read the emails and improve things. If he can’t, he will be out,” he assessed.
The former Haas boss also criticized the promises made by Williams before the season. “They said at the beginning of the year: ‘We will come back, we know exactly what to do.’ But right now, they are moving backwards, not forwards. All progress is happening in the wrong direction,” he concluded.
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