A Wrap Around the Track: Atlassian Williams Edition
Photo from Formula 1.
Ending the season at fifth place in the Constructors Championship, Atlassian Williams has had an exceptionally good season. The team got a grade of B, as their performance was significantly above average compared to prior seasons but they struggled with some mechanical issues throughout the season.
One of the biggest highs for Williams is the fact that they went from ninth in the Constructors Championship with only 17 points all the way up to fifth with 137 points. This significant jump is mainly due to technical developments that happened during the off-season. The 2024 FW46 was an overweight, outdated car that had a lot of developmental delays due to budget struggles. The 2025 FW47, on the other hand, had no weight management issues. Though, it did still have some engine cooling system related struggles—especially in extremely hot races where the system tended to overheat and fail. Overall, the car was a major improvement from before and the team shows great promise for the coming season.
Another major win for the team is the consistent double point finishes the team had. There were many races throughout the season where both drivers placed in point earning positions and bagged a whole lot of points for the team. Saudi Arabia to Monaco and Netherlands to Austin are the two biggest point streaks that Williams had. This pushed them up considerably in the Championship and was a great win for the team.
Overall the season was very successful and promising. Williams and Williams’ fans have lots to look forward to in this upcoming season.
Alex Albon:
Alex Albon started off the season on the right foot with a fifth place finish in Melbourne, Australia and placed in the points for the next two races. He went from 16th overall in Driver’s Championship in the 2024 season all the way up to eigth this season. His fifth place finish during the Australian Grand Prix was a career high finish and he repeatedly placed fifth throughout the season. Albon’s season had its ups and downs, his consistency and confidence pushed him up but technical issues held him back at times.
Albon was the top midfield scorer this season, he truly earned this title with his consistent point scoring and beautiful defensive skills. Races like Australia, Silverstone and Belgium showed off the FW47’s straight line speed, while Albon’s great defensive skills placed him above the other mid-field racers. His best race this season was in the Netherlands. He qualified in 15th, gained three places within just the first turn, overtook two more positions for a total of five positions gained by just the first lap. 71 laps later, after multiple race incidents and five more positions gained, he ended the race in fifth place.
Albon did struggle with some technical issues; the biggest was his mid-season slump where he did not finish (DNFed) three races in a row. The biggest problem was the problematic engine cooling system that forced a lot of early retirements. He also had two DNFs that were caused by excessive wear and tear during a race that was spotted during the post-race check. He also struggled a lot during the end of the season, placing mostly below 10th and having one DNF. Overall, this is one of Alex Albon’s greatest seasons and hopefully he continues to improve in the upcoming seasons.
Carlos Sainz:
Carlos Sainz placed ninth in the Driver’s Championship, one place behind his new teammate. His move to Williams was one of the most talked about things prior to the 2025 season. Although he had a rough start in the beginning of the season, he adjusted well to the car and team, with the second half of the season going much better than the first half.
The first-half of the season was filled with DNFs and lots of non-point finishes. Sainz DNFed on the second lap of the season-opener in Australia due to technical difficulties with Safety Car Mode. But, he was optimistic after finding out what caused the crash and spent the rest of the race advising Alex Albon’s strategy team. Another rough race was in Austria, when his car would not start—and when it eventually did, the rear brakes caught fire, leading to a “Did Not Start” (DNS). There were a lot of races where Sainz had a difficult time in qualifying and didn’t have the pace during a race to gain positions. The DNFs were surrounded by non-point placings while he struggled to find his footing with the car.
The second-half of the season was an improvement with two podium finishes, the first for Williams since 2021. Carlos Sainz got third place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after qualifying in second. This was, as he said, “My first smooth operation for Williams!” This is a little reference to “his song” “Smooth Operator”. The podium was well-earned with great strategy calls from the team and a near perfect race pace, only losing one place to George Russell with Mercedes. He placed seventh at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but due to a double disqualification for McLaren he moved up to fifth. Then, he got another podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix, due to great team strategy and excellent control. Sainz had well executed overtakes, great defensive driving, and even after he sustained some damage to the front part of his car, he maintained a great pace and got third place after qualifying in seventh. All in all this was a solid season for Carlos, and his fans (myself included) have much to look forward to.
