END OF YEAR REPORT: Williams - A mid-season driver swap, countless crash dramas and a true test of determination

How do you begin to sum up the rollercoaster that has been Williams’ 2024? From chassis dramas to driver swaps – and more cars in the barrier than you care to reflect on – the team’s resolve has been pushed to new extremes. But with every challenge that has come their way, the squad has always risen above it. What’s more, with continued off-track improvements and a Smooth Operator on board, there’s plenty to be optimistic about. Here’s Williams’ end of year report…

Best finish

Alex Albon – 7th in Azerbaijan

For Williams’ best result of the year we have to go back to Baku where Alex Albon’s seventh-placed finish bagged the team six incredibly valuable points. What’s more, his team mate Franco Colapinto – racing in just his second Grand Prix – was behind in eighth, scoring another four points.

While their final finishing positions were elevated thanks to the late crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz that day, the pair had done enough in their own right to land points paying positions.

That result signalled the potential the car had in the second half of the season and lifted them above Alpine in the constructors’ championship – though we all know how the end of the year panned out…

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 15: Alexander Albon of Thailand driving the (23) Williams FW46 — Albon secured Williams' best result of 2024 with seventh in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Qualifying head-to-head

Albon 13-0 Sargeant
Albon 7-2 Colapinto

As was the case last year, Albon had the better of Logan Sargeant throughout their time together. However, the American will still feel hard done by the decision to withdraw him from the Australian Grand Prix after Albon damaged his chassis in a heavy practice crash, with the Thai driver being handed his team mate’s car instead.

At the Dutch Grand Prix Albon was also disqualified from qualifying for a technical infringement, while Sargeant didn’t take part after a heavy practice crash. Ultimately that costly weekend proved to be the last for the American in the Williams seat.

In came Argentinian Colapinto who gave Albon much more of a test. The youngster would end up bettering his team mate in qualifying twice in their nine weekends together – in Azerbaijan and Las Vegas (although that latter session did end in a hefty crash in Q2).

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Race head-to-head

Albon 11-2 Sargeant
Albon 4-4 Colapinto

Sargeant would only beat Albon twice in their time together this season (in Japan and in Imola, where Albon retired). As mentioned above, he also couldn’t take part in Australia while neither Williams car finished the Canadian Grand Prix.

Once Sargeant was swapped out for Colapinto, it was neck and neck between the drivers – though much of that is probably down to Albon’s extraordinary run of bad luck at the back end of the season. Following his high of P7 in Azerbaijan, he would have three retirements and one DNS (in Brazil) across the final seven race weekends.

Colapinto also failed to finish in Brazil, and endured DNFs in the final two races of the year to end his short F1 stint on a bit of a downer – though the 21-year-old undoubtedly impressed enough to convince many he deserves another chance in F1 sooner rather than later.

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 12: Franco Colapinto of Argentina and Williams looks on in the Paddock — Colapinto scored five points in his nine-race stint with the team

Best moment

On-track you’d be hard pushed to better those P7 and P8 results in Azerbaijan, even if Williams’ points finishes dried up after that. But for this section we’re going to pick the off-track moment that is the signing of Carlos Sainz from Ferrari.

Team Principal James Vowles made no secret of his desire to secure the Spaniard's services – who was out of a seat thanks to Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari arrival for 2025 – and spoke passionately about the reaction of everyone at the factory when the news of Sainz’s arrival was finally confirmed.

“In Alex and Carlos we will have one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid and with huge experience to guide us into the new regulations in 2026,” he said following the confirmation. Few could argue with that assessment.

Worst moment

While the chassis dramas in Australia are a contender here, you couldn’t look past Sao Paulo for more of a morale-sapping weekend.

Williams endured not one, not two, but three significant crashes in a single day. Albon and Colapinto both crashed out in the delayed Sunday morning qualifying session – with Albon’s car too damaged to start the race later in the day.

Meanwhile the mechanics worked relentlessly to get the Argentinian back out for the Grand Prix, only for him to smash into the barrier behind the Safety Car. So many thoughts in the paddock that day were with the Williams crew.

That weekend left the team with a monumental repair job before the trip to Las Vegas, where Colapinto would also suffer a massive 50G accident in Q2. All in all that represented six crashes in three race weekends for the team.

“There’s no doubt about it – I think teams aren’t built to take what is six major crashes,” said Vowles after all of that.

2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Race red flagged as Colapinto crashes out

Going forward

On paper 2024’s ninth-placed finish in the constructors’ represents a setback for Williams compared to their P7 in 2023. But this is a project for the long-term – the team are willing to sacrifice the here and now if it means better foundations and prospects going forward.

Now, with the driver pairing of Albon and Sainz, they have one of the most solid duos around and the Smooth Operator’s history of helping to improve every team he’s been with bodes well.

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Vowles has also said as much on this season, while the results might not be as glamorous as last year there’s been more progress behind the scenes.

“We have a car that's able to, since we've updated it, fight for qualifying three,” he said over the Qatar Grand Prix weekend. “We had a car that, in Brazil, was still up there in that top three position before we crashed.”

He added: “As we discussed at the beginning of the year, we made some monumental changes in what we're doing internally and, by the way, still are. But the result of that was we didn't produce a car on the weight limit, which really hurt us in that first part of the year. So, I think it's fair to say there's more progress than the championship position would highlight.”

If Williams can minimise the crashes, translate the promise into points in 2025, and continue their off-track evolution, then Vowles’ prediction of 2028 being a realistic target for race wins could well come to fruition.