Williams Hopeful of Wednesday Afternoon Track Debut

[Paul Jeffrey]

The Williams train wreck start to 2019 continues, with the squad confirming the earliest the new car will run at Barcelona is Wednesday... afternoon.

Having already missed two full days of testing at the Spanish Grand Prix venue, track action the team could well do without having to skip, the British outfit have now confirmed the earliest the car is expected to venture out on circuit is Wednesday afternoon - assuming the team can put everything together effectively once the new machine arrives at the circuit during the early hours of Wednesday morning... Not good.

Coming off the back of a disastrous 2018, Williams hoped that a new season would mark a change in fortune for the former multiple championship winning squad, however despite the pre-season optimism of the team, once the real action on track began the reality of the current position of the outfit came an all too familiar sinking feeling.

Having already passed up the opportunity to perform shakedown laps prior to the commencement of testing on Monday, the team were then hit by further woes as they couldn't get the car together in time to start running alongside the other teams, something that stretched past Monday and all the way into todays action - with no promises of even managing to be ready for the commencement of track activity on Wednesday morning.

"Our car looking likely to arrive at the circuit between 4-5am tomorrow morning," said the team in a statement.​

"Obviously there will still be a fair amount to do but we will be working as fast as we can. Unlikely to run before lunch though."
​

With both Stroll and Sirotkin having departed the team during the off season, replaced by in effect two rookie drivers in the form of the returning Kubica and Formula Two champion George Russell, Williams realistically need all the track time they can get during these eight days of pre-season running - of which the team are already one quarter down on their immediate rivals thanks to the delays encountered so far.

Let's hope that once the car hits the track, the team can start to turn around what is looking like another very hard year of racing for the Grove outfit.

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[Paul Glover]

The team discuss Williams shambles on our new podcast, see here for more details: https://anchor.fm/rdpodcast

 

[Deleted member 387850]

Despite being a lifelong F1 fan, I'm sure I can barely imagine the amount of work that goes into getting a car ready for the start of a new season. However, I simply cannot understand how Williams have got themselves in this situation.

After a torrid 2018 I assume they switched their focus to the 2019 car much sooner than many of their rivals, so they've had a fair amount of time to plan ahead. Despite the changes in aero regs this year they've been well known in advance, to the point that at the end of season test last year some teams ran with 2019 spec front wings.

I really like and respect Claire Williams, but you'd have to say that if this happened under the watch of any other TP they'd probably be looking for a new job by now. I sincerely hope they make up for the lost track time, because I think we'd all love to see Kubica and Russell given an opportunity to showcase what they can do!

 

[Jan Larsen]

Given their pace the past couple of seasons and the terrible start to this season (having not even driven yet), Claire Williams should have been sacked long ago, but that will never happen unless sponsors demand it. Lowe's future should also be in question.
As for the drivers; Kubica is probably not that worried, its unlikely he'll get more than one or two seasons anyway due to his age, but I fear for Russell. Accepting a drive in a car that is likely to be even worse than last year could ruin his career. Hopefully not, but history is full of those stories.

 

[ears]

Edited - my post was irrelevant!

 

[Jan Larsen]

Edit: so is mine now... ^

 

[ears]

Wo caeres abut A tini speling mestake.

Who cares about having all of their hard work, long nights and relinquished sleep called a 'train wreck'?

I can think of a good few in the Oxfordshire area.

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

I'm hopeful that the "train wreck start" to this thread gets fixed.

Oooops Thanks man, now fixed

Who cares about having all of their hard work, long nights and relinquished sleep called a 'train wreck'?

Well, tbh (and I'm a Williams fan) - as a team performing at the absolute pinnacle of world motorsport, and former champions at that, they simply aren't doing a good enough job. Someone with pedigree like Williams, who are supposed to be fighting to get back to where they belong, throwing away 2 full days and potentially one half day of a limited testing schedule is nothing short of horrendous, and rightly blame needs to be passed to them for allowing this to happen. It feels like a performance (both 2018 and pre-season) of a woefully underfunded amateur outfit, akin to some of those ridiculous teams that used to turn up for pre-qualifying back in the late 80's..

Not the sort of performance one would expect from a professional, established, experienced team like Williams. Sadly.

However saying all that... McLaren used to turn up on the last day of testing back in the Senna and Prost days, thrash everyone, then proceed to dominate the season. I for one hope something similar happens here.. but I doubt it

 

[Jan Larsen]

ears, no one here is knocking the hardworking, average joe worker within the Williams team, that'd be unfair, but its very rightfully justified to knock the management. As Paul said, not turning up to preseason testing in time and missing soon-to-be half the testing period is simply awful management. There's absolutely no excuse. I feel deeply for the workers and drivers as they are the victims here.

 

[ears]

Oooops Thanks man, now fixed



Well, tbh (and I'm a Williams fan) - as a team performing at the absolute pinnacle of world motorsport, and former champions at that, they simply aren't doing a good enough job. Someone with pedigree like Williams, who are supposed to be fighting to get back to where they belong, throwing away 2 full days and potentially one half day of a limited testing schedule is nothing short of horrendous, and rightly blame needs to be passed to them for allowing this to happen. It feels like a performance (both 2018 and pre-season) of a woefully underfunded amateur outfit, akin to some of those ridiculous teams that used to turn up for pre-qualifying back in the late 80's..

Not the sort of performance one would expect from a professional, established, experienced team like Williams. Sadly.

However saying all that... McLaren used to turn up on the last day of testing back in the Senna and Prost days, thrash everyone, then proceed to dominate the season. I for one hope something similar happens here.. but I doubt it

I guess I should have remembered the helmet...

But I don't know, are they the last true independent left in F1? It seems to me that all the other teams are backed by multi billionaires or massive organisations.

I just think they need support. F1 without Williams might be unthinkable but at present, not unrealistic.

 

[ears]

And yeah those late 80s prequalifying teams - the Osellas, EuroBrun, Zakspeed etc. - they were underperforming because they didn't have anything like the budget of the other teams.

And I fear that's the similarity with Williams.

Is it unfair to blame the management? A fraction of other teams' budgets will only go so far.

I blame the management, but not the management of any F1 team.

Look further up.

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

F1 without Williams might be unthinkable but at present, not unrealistic.

/\ /\

Agree 100%. Williams can, should and will be a force again one day - they have to, motorsport is the only outlet for the team. They don't go racing to sell cars, they go racing to go racing. IMHO, all F1 teams should be like this, and the sport isn't the place for manufacturers, but sadly you are right... it doesn't look too unrealistic to see something very bad indeed happen to them.

I hope with all my might that it doesn't.

 

[ears]

But what's there for them? What would take them to the top again? A buy out by BMW? But then they wouldn't be Williams any more.

I just don't see the path for a team like Williams any more. For a man like Eddie Jordan or Giancarlo Minardi any more.

I looked at the testing times this week and had a chuckle to myself. Haas, oh yeah they're Ferrari. Alfa Romeo, yeah they're Ferrari.

Maybe Tyrell BAR Brawn Mercedes Ilmor will buy Williams just so they can have a B team too. But who will be the C team? Force Spyder Racing Jordan India Point I guess.

It's like picking teams in PE.

Crazy times.

I know, Ken. I feel your pain.

 

[michelforest]

It feels like a performance (both 2018 and pre-season) of a woefully underfunded amateur outfit, akin to some of those ridiculous teams that used to turn up for pre-qualifying back in the late 80's..

Ah, the good old days! I have fond memories of showing up at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve at 7:30 am to watch prequalifying. It was absolutely crazy and fascinating at the same time. I still remember the AGS, Coloni, Eurobrun, Zakspeed...

 

[Jan Larsen]

But what's there for them? What would take them to the top again? A buy out by BMW? But then they wouldn't be Williams any more.

No need for a buy out (yet), but there's desperate need for a management change which would also make for a welcome change for the workers and inspire some hope. They managed to attract a decent sponsor (God knows how) which is obviously very good, now they just need more. And track time.
I'm not a Williams fan per say, but I've followed F1 for 25 years and F1 without Williams in unthinkable. I get sad when I see teams like Williams and McLaren struggle so bad even though they have so much experience. I shouldnt happen.