Building on recent team updates, Williams driver Alex Albon revealed the FW48 has shed weight during the April break, boosting excitement for the Miami Grand Prix—though he warns rivals are upgrading too. This follows comments from Albon and principal James Vowles on gradual progress amid early 2026 struggles.
In the latest insight into Williams' Miami preparations, Alex Albon shared on the Up To Speed podcast that the team maximized the unexpected five-week April break to trim the car's excess weight, which had hindered the opening rounds. 'I'm excited. I think our car's gone into training camp for the four or five weeks. Lost a little bit of weight,' the 30-year-old said.
Sitting ninth in the constructors' standings with two points—after a strong fifth in 2025—the Grove outfit faced chassis delays on the FW48, skipping private Barcelona testing and starting Bahrain pre-season behind. Albon noted this exposed factory bottlenecks under new regulations: 'It was a bit of a frustration for all of us... it just exposed some bottlenecks in the factory.'
While optimistic, Albon tempered expectations: 'I still think we're on the back foot, but part of me is afraid because the top teams always do well on regulation changes.' He stressed that progress is relative, as 'everyone is bringing upgrades that are going to make them go faster.'
The Miami GP, with its second sprint, runs May 1-3 at Hard Rock Stadium. This builds on Albon's prior remarks about a non-revolutionary upgrade package and Vowles' call to maximize the break for competitiveness.
