£547m F1 team preparing ‘major’ update for Dutch Grand Prix after tough 2024 campaign

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The summer shutdown is an important part of the Formula 1 season as it enables teams to regroup ahead of the final 10 races of the year.

In between the mandatory shutdown period of 14 days, teams will be working hard to produce the latest upgrades for their cars ahead of the final European venues before heading off to the flyaway races in Asia and US.

McLaren will be looking to maintain its advantage over Red Bull in the second half of the season, while Mercedes is hoping to capitalise on its newfound performance. Ferrari also has some catching up to do, while there is pressure on Aston Martin to improve their fortunes.

A team that has suffered the most stagnant run has been Williams, who have yet to score more than four points after a promising end to last year. Alex Albon has made several Q3 appearances this year, but the team rarely capitalises on them in the races.

According to a report from Auto Motor und Sport, the team has ‘major’ updates planned for the second half of the season which should put them on the right track.

Williams plans ‘major’ upgrades for second half of 2024

Williams started off the development of their 2024 car early last year to get a head start on the competition, but they encountered some unexpected problems at the beginning of the year.

Team principal James Vowles believes their infrastructure is 20 years out of date and while he has successfully lobbied F1 bosses to increase the capital expenditure limits to benefit the £547 million F1 team, they are still feeling the effects of it when it comes to car development.

According to the report, Williams plans to bring two major upgrades after the summer break. The first will come at Zandvoort and the second will arrive either at Azerbaijan or Singapore Grands Prix.

James Vowles hopeful competition has switched to 2025

With Williams still 22 points behind rivals Haas for seventh in the Constructors’ table, Vowles is banking on the competition switching focus to 2025 in the final 10 races.

According to the AMuS report, Williams’ 2025 car is already in the wind tunnel for initial development as the team looks to devote much of the following year to the development of their 2026 chassis when the new rules come into effect.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes relationship

Williams faces an exciting prospect when Carlos Sainz joins them next year alongside Alex Albon, with 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill describing the pairing as a ‘perfect combination’.

Former F1 strategist Bernie Collins expects Albon will continue to be the team leader at Williams, but Sainz will likely grow into the role with more experience behind the scenes.