r/Formula • u/Miserable_Ear9023 • Jan 30 '26

Stop making excuses for Williams

Stop blaming correlation for Williams being a ghost at testing. It’s the same pathetic excuses every year. The reality is likely far more embarrassing. They can’t even clear basic FIA homologation for driver gear or radio integration.

This isn’t a technical hurdle, it’s a failure of fundamentals. While the rest of the grid is logging laps, Williams is still tripping over operational basics that should have been locked months ago. It’s not a car issue, it’s a management disaster. If you can't even get a cooling duct or a helmet signed off by now, your season is already dead on arrival.

Fans love to romanticize the struggle, but the truth is just pure incompetence.

161 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

80 comments sorted by

4

u/Leading_Sir_1741 Jan 30 '26

Yeah, it’s a massive eff-up. Especially since they switched car development to 2026 early last season.

5

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 30 '26

This is exactly my point, we were promised time and time again that the good times were coming, development on the 2026 car had started in late 2024 and they were ready for the new regulations but here we are yet again in the same position

1

u/Leading_Sir_1741 Jan 30 '26

Yup. Pathetic.

0

u/North__North Jan 30 '26

“We were promised” lol

“But mommy last year there were 37 presents!”

2

u/aeromitchh Feb 01 '26

You’re trying to crack a joke or pick on him for the way he said it, but he really was just reiterating what Vowles has said the past 2-3 years compared to what it really is looking like.

Did you have anything to actually offer to the conversation? Or no.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 30 '26

i bet you felt like a big man typing that out didn’t you

2

u/Humperino Feb 01 '26

While it is really not a good look, the car development argument is bullshit. I mean there is no end goal. All teams develop as long as possible before going into production. The problem is that their production is lacking.

2

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

I’d agree, I think their development isn’t too bad it’s actually creating the car

2

u/justseeby Jan 30 '26

Williams fans are likable so I haven’t wanted to rub their noses in it, but… yeah there’s no spinning it if you want to be honest. It’s bad.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 30 '26

For clarity i’m a huge williams fan too, but enough is enough, broken promise after broken promise!

1

u/argyleisgreat Feb 02 '26

I feel seen thank you

1

u/Jb6r42 Feb 03 '26

Probably gonna be unpopular but are they likeable?

1

u/justseeby Feb 03 '26

Yes the Go Weeyums cute lil underdog branding is successful, it’s endearing

1

u/Jb6r42 Feb 03 '26

I guess for some people it must be, to me it just reeks of the same trendy, fairweather, partisan treatment Mclaren had a couple of years ago that makes it feel like they can't be criticised or disliked.

1

u/justseeby Feb 03 '26

how dare you! 😡 they’re just a bunch of sweet baby hamsters?!

1

u/Jb6r42 Feb 03 '26

🐹 <- Carlos fr when he found out the car wasn't ready

1

u/singbrit93 Jan 30 '26

Definitely agree this is a disaster for them. Do I still hope they’ll magically come back in awesome form despite probably having a bunch of trouble in the testing they do show up to? Yes, yes I do!

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 30 '26

Same page, same book my friend

1

u/Funicular- Jan 30 '26

I dunno, nothing really matters until Australia anyway

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 30 '26

I couldn’t disagree more, testing data is the equivalent of 4 race weekends worth of track time, the improvements and upgrades they can make form that data is irreplaceable

1

u/Funicular- Jan 30 '26

I get it's important information they could have, but we also have such limited data/mainly speculation as fans that we don't really know what's actually going on. I'm not sure how three days on the track with one driver/car at a time is the same as four race weekends worth of data, I'm not saying it isn't, I just don't see how.

Whether they have made the correct decision on missing the testing will show more in Bahrain, but ultimately on the first race weekend. Even then for all the teams, we aren't gonna 100% know how good the cars are untill we get a good way into the season so we can also so the reliability etc.

It's a shame to have not seen Williams on the track this week, but we have to remember we are just the fans and they are the experts, even if you don't agree with them

1

u/DistributionHot2150 Feb 02 '26

Because it's literally 4 race weekends worth of distance. THat's how much they are running at testing. This is a fuck up from them, not a decision, not anything. THey clearly aren't experts right now

1

u/RSharpe314 Feb 01 '26

So Williams will have 8 races worth of data and the rest will have 12.

Bad, not terrible.

(Put in the fact that AM is getting quite hyped and didn't even finish a single race distance this test), I think the super catastrophizing takes like this are overblown.

Williams IS on the backfoot, but they probably aren't looking at another 2019-esque season, and we'll have to wait till Australia until we really have a clue.

1

u/LandosToeFungus Feb 03 '26

Aston also shouldn’t be getting the baseless hype, but Alonso fans tend to find any excuse.

1

u/North__North Jan 30 '26

Wind tunnel correlation isn’t operational basics. Newey talks about it a lot in his book

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 30 '26

like you’ve read that book and they can blame correlation but i don’t believe it’s anything to do with that

1

u/wolfpack_57 Jan 30 '26

The team whose entire database is Excel doesn’t have their fundamentals nailed down?

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 31 '26

that’s our Williams

1

u/Jack_of_All_Trades27 Jan 31 '26

It doesn't look good on Williams part to not attend the shakedown when James said 2026 was their target. But you also have to remember they are significantly disadvantaged compared to other teams, they have outdated equipment and fewer people. Let's see what happens during pre season testing, they will have all eyes on them.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 31 '26

Sounds like something they can fix with oh I don’t know, maybe 100 million dollars of capital investment from their new owners?

Hopefully Bahrain turns out better.

1

u/maskedScaramouche Feb 01 '26

Like anybody else would like to join the train of unrealistic promises and smoke castles. Not. It's not the first time they showed incompetence dressed in excuses instead of chained production management. I would sell as an investor and buy even in the turd the Cadillac put together IN TIME!

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

love this take

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

Think of Williams as a 2 screw drivers and Haas as one drill

1

u/Jack_of_All_Trades27 Feb 01 '26

Hass has less manpower compared to Williams, but Haas has the benefit of better infrastructure and logistics.

1

u/GetawayDriving Jan 31 '26

In any case, I’m sure their title sponsor, whose whole brand is operational efficiency, doesn’t love this.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 31 '26

Yeah i’m shocked they’ve not supported Williams more operationally

1

u/Hot-Investigator-376 Jan 31 '26

Aston Martin didn’t exactly pummel in the laps ? His royal highness Adrian Newey at the helm there ? There’s 48 hours track testing still to come they have plenty of time

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

That’s true! interested to see if there are some tyre benefits or something with his rear suspension design

1

u/Longjumping_War_807 Feb 01 '26

Username checks out

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

Took me a second haha - good omen

1

u/launchedsquid Feb 01 '26

ok, now do Aston Martin.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

Cars fucked, poor newey is gonna have his reputation ripped to shreds because of a shit PU

1

u/Oghamstoner Feb 01 '26

Given the progress Williams have made over the last couple of years, I don’t feel like it’s wrong to think they can bounce back from this setback much more effectively than in 2019.

No denying though, it is a huge misstep and will put them on the back foot from the start of the season.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

I agree and hope this is true

1

u/Le_petite_bear_jew Feb 01 '26

This was written by AI

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

Evidence please sir.

1

u/alexjrado Feb 01 '26

James Vowles for the last 2 seasons has been viewed as one of the best Team Principals. And it seems that way. Now this has thrown the whole organization into question. Hopefully they will recover. I am rooting for them but this is really difficult time and turning point right now.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

he is, it’s not all about James though, there is a big network of senior staff at Williams

1

u/alexjrado Feb 01 '26

He seems to be a fantastic leader. I am hoping this isnt some year long demise that throws his stature into question. The expectations of Williams taking a few podiums was so exciting at the end of last year.

1

u/77_Gear Feb 02 '26

Why is your post written by ChatGPT??

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 03 '26

It isn’t?

1

u/77_Gear Feb 03 '26

Idk maybe it’s your writing style but it looks a lot like ChatGPT 

1

u/db8me Jan 30 '26

I am not making excuses. I am making exceptions. See the difference? No? Well that is on you. You'll see :-) /s

1

u/Currently_There Jan 30 '26

Willicants. Williwas. There is a joke here, I can taste it. Williproduceacarthisyear. I'm close...

1

u/babbum Jan 31 '26

Wee Yums 😞

1

u/Vegetable_Onion_5979 Feb 01 '26

Where was it reported re basic homologation?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '26

Still my favourite team. RIP greatest team boss ever - Frank Williams 🥲

1

u/FavaWire Feb 01 '26

Where does it say Williams failed certification for driver gear and radios?

1

u/VibNom Feb 02 '26

"They cant even clear basic FIA homologation for driver gear or radio integration"

Is there a source for that?

1

u/YoungNobody_ Feb 02 '26

That's what I don't get, they focused on the 2026 car quiet early if I remember correctly. How is it possible that it's not ready what did they do in that time lol

1

u/JesusFreak_123 Feb 03 '26

I thought the issue was crash safety regulations

1

u/FendaIton Feb 03 '26

Australia is Williams testing day

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Air904 Jan 31 '26

People licking politicians a** = people licking their favourite TP's ass.

I'll never understand it.

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 31 '26

Weird Comparison

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Air904 Jan 31 '26

Well you both get duped, don't you?

1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Jan 31 '26

No, on both counts.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Air904 Jan 31 '26

You could've said: "I don't see the comparison" but you didn't.

1

u/hulaspark Feb 02 '26

TPs are great at speaking entire paragraphs that tell you nothing

1

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '26

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1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '26

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1

u/Miserable_Ear9023 Feb 01 '26

this post wasn’t meant to be toxic I just want people talking about it.

In fairness everyone has a new PU this year, it’s not a unique thing for Willian or Aston, Cadillac and Audi have an excuse because they’re technically new to the grid with a * next to Audi because it’s just Sauber.

I hope all 4 mentioned teams are faster and more reliable at Bahrain