Williams delivered a notable upgrade package to the Baku City Circuit – two new chassis, a weight‑saving programme and a revised aerodynamic setup – yet the team earned only a single point.
Upgrade Highlights
Chief engineer James Vowles praised the factory’s relentless effort to stack new chassis designs, remove excess mass and tune aero elements all for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The package promised better competitiveness after several months of development.
Weekend Result
In qualifying, Carlos Sainz reached Q3, signaling potential from the upgrades. However, during the race his performance fell short of the lap times seen earlier. Sainz finished tenth, securing the lone point, while teammate Alex Albon suffered a crash on lap 31 when a gust of wind made braking difficult on the street circuit’s uneven surface. The incident caused a hard impact with the wall, a common hazard for Baku’s narrow turns.
Officials are now investigating a possible practice‑start infringement involving Sainz. The squad plans to rebuild the car for next week’s Malaysian event, gearing up for the first race of a triple‑header.
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