Williams already face £500k bill to fix ‘serious’ problem with their 2026 Formula 1 car

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Williams finally began testing their 2026 F1 car on Wednesday. The Grove outfit missed the Shakedown in Barcelona at the end of last month.

James Vowles decided they wouldn’t travel to Spain after encountering production delays, but they were able to complete a shakedown of their own at Silverstone following their car launch.

Williams also carried out a filming day in Bahrain on Tuesday before the test got underway. Carlos Sainz drives the car on Wednesday morning, with Alex Albon taking over in the afternoon.

The 2026 F1 liveries are all locked in 🔥

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Naturally, the delays have led to worrying rumours. It’s believed that Williams struggled to pass the mandatory crash tests, and they may have been forced into a temporary solution.

Williams will need a new chassis for ‘grossly overweight’ F1 car

According to a report from Corriere della Serra, Williams are in ‘serious trouble’ with their car despite making it to Bahrain.

Vowles has refused to engage with ‘murmurmings in the media’ that the FW48 is significantly above the weight limit. But the Italian outlet believe they are ‘more than 10 kilos’ over.

Williams’ last major F1 milestones – Can the Grove-based squad achieve any of these again in 2026? ⬇️

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After Williams reinforced their car to pass the crash tests, they are ‘grossly overweight’. To avoid haemorrhaging lap time, they will need a new chassis.

Based on a report from Planet F1 in 2023, a new chassis costs around £500k. A series of crashes put Williams at risk of breaching the cost cap a couple of years ago, and this unforeseen expense could create similar problems in 2026.

Aston Martin have also far exceeded the weight limit

Corriere della Sera add that Aston Martin are in the same boat as Williams. Just like Vowles’ squad, Aston have been behind schedule this winter.

They didn’t join their competitors on track in Barcelona until the end of the penultimate day. Adrian Newey’s late arrival following his post-Red Bull gardening leave meant that they lost months of development.

Fernando Alonso acknowledges that Aston Martin are on the back foot, and engine suppliers Honda are also believed to be struggling. Honda weren’t initially planning to be in F1 for this ruleset.

While there’s optimism that they can catch up through upgrades, Aston Martin are already prioritising 2027 as they seek to become a true contender.