The cautious approach of Williams concerning the introduction of new parts does not seem to pay off: bottom of the general classification after eight rounds, the British team had to rely on races with twists and very bold strategies to register his points, three in number, and saw his main rival Aston Martin stand out after the presentation of major developments at the Spanish GP.
From now on, if Williams wishes to leave the back of the grid and join Aston Martin and Haas in the fight for eighth place, the deep update of the FW44 seems to be inevitable. Dave Robson is aware of this and recently revealed that Williams got to work. And if we trust the words of the team’s performance manager, the next developments will give a new shape to the blue car.
“We made our decision and [les pièces] are in the wind tunnel”explained Robson during the Azerbaijan GP. “Now the challenge is to make them as soon as possible. The package is on its way. Hopefully the exact delivery date will become clearer over the next few days. […] For the short term and the rest of the season, we are dedicated to a concept that is slightly different, visually different, from what you can see now.”
With the lowering of the budget cap to $140 million this year, it is now much more difficult for teams to jump headlong into the development of their cars. Robson said Williams had so far shown restraint in introducing new parts to make sure they were more profitable.
“We always want more, especially the drivers”added the Briton, questioned by Motorsport.com on development. “With the budget cap, you have to choose the right time to use these new parts in order to get value for money, which is difficult. stuff in Barcelona around the rear brake scoops. There were a few [pièces]but nothing really important at the moment.”
Interview by Jonathan Noble