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Williams Begins Phased Weight Cuts After Miami Updates

Cost-cap rules force a slow, stepwise rollout of lighter parts.

Overview

  • Williams says it has engineered the FW48 down to the target weight plus an extra 10 kilograms of margin, yet only a couple of kilos have reached the car in Miami.
  • The team will fit lighter parts as existing components finish their planned life cycles, a cost-cap practice that avoids scrapping usable stock but slows deployment.
  • Seven updated pieces arrived in Miami with an emphasis on weight saving tied to aerodynamic changes, and Williams plans small reductions at each race.
  • James Vowles traced the heavy car to a messy winter with new factory software, late planning, tougher crash tests, and a more complex design that pushed the build toward heavier quick fixes.
  • Williams sits ninth with two points but targets a return to the top of the midfield after the August break, with 40–50 performance projects underway and recent gains such as faster pit stops and improved pace versus Haas.