‘Experts’ believe £807m-valued F1 outfit have overtaken Williams as F1’s fifth-fastest team

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Alex Albon’s P6 at the Belgian Grand Prix has given Williams a bigger buffer over their rivals in fifth in 2025.

The Grove outfit were backed to take a step forward this season, having scored just 17 points in 2024. With the signing of Carlos Sainz from Ferrari to partner with Albon, the team had what they needed to compete in the midfield, even if Williams were prioritising the 2026 regulations.

That is exactly what the team have done, as they currently sit as the best of the rest behind McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. With 70 points, Williams have a comfortable advantage over the bottom five.

Albon produced an excellent weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix to qualify fifth and finish sixth. The Thai driver showed strong pace in the FW47 and fended off the charging Lewis Hamilton, who had climbed from the back of the grid after starting in the pits.

Damon Hill praised Albon’s performance at Spa as the 28-year-old scored valuable points for Williams. It was a much-needed boost for the Grove outfit, as inconsistent results in recent races have led to the field catching up.

‘Experts’ believe Haas have overtaken Williams as the fifth-fastest team in 2025

Williams have been struggling to find the right balance with both cars and getting them into the points together. Sainz has just 16 points to Albon’s 54.

While the team have brought some updates to the FW47, at the drivers’ request, they have not been as substantial as their rivals. The likes of Aston Martin, Sauber and Racing Bulls have made steps forward in recent races as they begin to close the gap to Williams.

Haas are another outfit who have improved with their upgrades in 2025. So much so, that according to a report from Auto Motor und Sport, F1 ‘experts’ believe the American team have now overtaken Williams as the fifth-fastest team.

The constructors’ championship paints a different picture on paper, as Haas sit ninth in the standings, 25 points behind Williams in fifth and 15 points ahead of Alpine in last. Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman have only scored points eight times between them in 2025, excluding Sprints.

But team principal Ayao Komatsu holds the same view as the experts in the paddock, claiming that: “We can now handle all corners: slow, medium-speed, and fast,” thanks to their upgrades at Silverstone. Williams may soon have their work cut out if Haas can convert their pace into results.

READ MORE: All to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari and Toyota ties

Haas have operational issues to iron out before they can challenge Williams

Haas have had some incredible highs in 2025. Ocon finished a stunning P5 in Shanghai after the Ferraris were disqualified, while Bearman climbed from the back to finish eighth.

The team have the drivers and, supposedly, the car to compete at the front of the midfield. However, they have been held back by numerous mistakes.

Haas did score double points in the Sprint at Spa, but could not replicate it in the Grand Prix as Bearman finished 11th for the fourth race in a row. Ocon slammed Haas for their pit stops as he was left out too late on the intermediates and was on used tyres instead of new ones, ultimately finishing P15.

With Williams 25 points ahead in fifth, Haas have a long way to go to show that their pace on the data matches the standings. Ocon and Bearman can be competitive in the VF-25, but they are being held back by errors from the team.