Montoya: Williams Must Sacrifice 2027 Development to Fix Current Car Flaws

Juan Pablo Montoya has warned that Williams might have to put its 2027 development on hold to fix the fundamental flaws plaguing its 2026 challenger. After a strong fifth-place finish in last year's constructors' standings, the Grove outfit has collapsed to eighth under the new regulations, with both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon struggling to extract pace from a car that looks increasingly adrift.

Why it matters:

Williams bet heavily on the regulatory reset but now sits with just 11 points, trailing Haas and only narrowly ahead of Audi. Montoya's comments underline how serious the team's regression has become and suggest that simply waiting for next year is not a viable strategy. If the British squad cannot halt its slide soon, it risks wasting a rare opportunity to capitalize on the new rules while rival teams pull further ahead.

The details:

• At the Austrian Grand Prix, both Sainz and Albon were knocked out in Q1 and started 17th and 18th, exposing the car's chronic lack of pace.
• Sainz later retired with a suspected electrical issue, while Albon limped home in 17th with no chance of points.
• On F1 TV, Montoya insisted the team must bring upgrades immediately and be prepared to "sacrifice next year" to understand and fix its current package.
• The former Williams driver noted that the team still has the infrastructure to succeed, which makes the current struggles even more painful for everyone involved.

What's next:

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone from July 3-5 offers Williams a home race chance to stop the rot, but Montoya sees little hope without major upgrades. The team now faces a defining choice: commit fully to rescuing its 2026 season or preserve resources for 2027 and risk losing even more ground to the midfield.