It has been decades since Williams fought at the sharp end of the F1 field consistently, but Jenson Button feels things could be changing soon. The Briton, who drove for Williams in 2000, explained how the atmosphere today seems similar to how it was back then.
“It feels fun, exciting, obviously serious when it comes to racing, but it is a nice family atmosphere,” Button said per Crash.net.
The 2009 World Champion added that the positive change has been down to James Vowles‘ leadership. When Button came back to Williams in 2023—around the same time as when Vowles joined from Mercedes—things weren’t as good.
“The atmosphere wasn’t quite the same. Now I think there’s a lot more belief in the direction of where the team is going,” he insisted.
Jenson Button believes Williams is on the right path:
“The atmosphere kind of feels the same as back in 2000.”
“It feels fun, exciting, obviously serious when it comes to racing, but it is a nice family atmosphere.”
“When I re-joined the team as an ambassador the atmosphere… pic.twitter.com/kR1Jg2Ax9k
— ari (@itsnotme_ari) January 10, 2025
Things have been far from easy for Williams, who still finished P9 in the standings last year with its drivers suffering multiple cashes that took a toll on its finances. But the fact that Vowles has transformed the team cannot be denied.
Last year, Vowles revealed how the efficiency at Williams was so poor that they were using an obsolete inventory system, creating a nightmare for those in operations. Basically, they were keeping track using Excel Spreadsheets, and in the process of doing so, quite often lost count of their components.
Vowles made them change their ways, and the Grove-based outfit started operating like a more serious team. Plus, the former Mercedes man recruited top engineers like Pat Fry to bolster their technical department. It was these changes that also convinced four-time Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz to join them this year.
Sainz impressed with Williams after post-season test
Sainz drove for Ferrari—a top team fighting for wins—for the last four years, which naturally made him skeptical about joining a backmarker in Williams. That’s also why it took him so long to sign his contract, but was ultimately left with no choice, with the slots at all fast teams full.
However, he would have breathed a sigh of relief after the post-season test he took part in for Williams following the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
“It’s an important time for the team and we are all going to push to bring Williams back to the front of the grid as soon as possible. I was very impressed with the team back in Abu Dhabi,” he said after driving the FW46 around the Yas Marina Circuit.
This is the kind of optimism Sainz and Williams will need to get back to the front of the grid. While they may not be able to get among the frontrunners this year, they could do so in 2026 when the regulations change.
With the 2026 regulations having a greater focus on engines, Vowles is the right man to lead Williams, having helped Mercedes win a record eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships from 2014 to 2021. Moreover, with a top driver like Sainz now among their ranks, they seem to have all the ingredients in place to achieve success in the coming seasons.
