Formula 1 broadcaster Will Buxton has criticised Williams for “overpromising and underdelivering” during the 2026 season, while admitting he remains surprised that Carlos Sainz chose the Grove-based team over Audi.
Williams struggles after ambitious 2025 claims
Williams made bold statements throughout 2025, but its campaign has fallen well short of expectations. The team arrived at pre-season testing in Bahrain on the back foot after missing private testing in Barcelona, and it has since battled significant problems with an overweight car.
After 12 rounds, Williams sits ninth in the constructors’ championship with 11 points. Sainz and Alex Albon are 16th and 17th in the drivers’ standings, with six and five points respectively.
The team’s difficult season was compounded at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, where the two Williams drivers collided. Albon was forced to retire, while Sainz received a 10-second penalty.
Buxton compares Williams with Audi
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Buxton compared Williams with Audi, which joined the Formula 1 grid as a works team in 2026 after taking over Sauber.
Sainz had held talks with Audi after losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, but ultimately chose Williams for the 2025 season.
“There’s an interesting difference in mindset and philosophy between Williams and Audi. When you look at the two places that Carlos could have ended up, you might have expected Audi to turn up with great fanfare, and yet I feel that they’ve been quite understated and have kind of underpromised and overdelivered,” Buxton explained.
“Whereas Williams keep making the big statements of, ‘We’re going to take these steps up; we want to be fighting for X, Y and Z, and this is going to be a great year for us,’ and then it disappoints. So they overpromise and underdeliver.
“I did find it interesting back when Carlos signed for Williams, and he had that option of going to Audi. I found it really interesting that you would turn down a factory seat over the dream that is Williams, and obviously James Vowles sold him a brilliant dream.”
Source: www.motorsport.com
