If Williams were the pleasant surprise of last season, claiming P7 in the standings, their struggles in 2024 have been equally notable. The Grove team-based team has zero points, and in recent races, seems to have lost ground against its direct rivals. This relative regression is partly due to other teams bringing in their first upgrades.
RIVALS’ PROGRESS
The weight of the innovations in the race for a top 10 finish was also underlined by Williams team principal, James Vowles:
“In the last few races, it is quite clear that several of our rivals have brought rather considerable updates: I’m talking about Alpine, Haas and Sauber. We’ve fallen behind in this regard. Now, it’s up to us to make sure we upgrade the car sufficiently over the next 3/4 races to make up ground and start fighting for points again.“
EXPECTED UPDATES FOR THE NEXT GRAND PRIX
A bit like we are seeing among the teams fighting for the top positions, even at the back those who brought the updates first have gained ground on their direct rivals. For Williams, the moment of redemption should come in the next two grand prix scheduled in Miami and Imola. Vowles explained:
“The whole season is a development race between teams who are continually trying to bring performances. We have some new parts; we will have some coming in Miami and many more in Imola, but the pace between the teams will always be different.
“What’s happened is that Sauber, Haas and Alpine have made some major aerodynamic developments, and I think we’re seeing the results of that. The season is long, and there are a lot of developments coming, but we need to make sure they get to the car as quickly as possible .”
THE PROBLEM OF PIT STOPS
Even without encountering the dramatic problems that have often affected Kick Sauber’s races, Williams also has a lot to improve when it comes to tyre changes. With an average stop which in the first five races was more than 3 seconds, the Grove team can find in this particular progress which could be decisive in a balanced fight like the one we are also witnessing in the center of the grid. Vowles explained in this regard:
“We need to improve our pit stops. There’s no doubt about it. We have plans in place for the medium and long term, but it’s not something you can improve overnight. I believe we are behind with equipment compared to the top teams, and it is something we need to invest in .”
THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE FW46
In such a difficult start to the season, also conditioned by the absence of a reserve chassis, which led Williams to race with only one car in the Australian GP, the team nevertheless also recorded some positive notes regarding the FW46. The car is generally better than the 2023 one for a series of reasons that Vowles summarizes thus:
“We have a car that is better balanced than last year. It’s also better in mixed conditions, whether it’s windy, wet or dry. There are simply many elements that are better than before. I think Miami will be better than last year, surprisingly Monaco could also be a suitable track for the car .”
The Williams team principal concluded by underlining how the fight for the points zone is really played out on the edge of tenths:
“What we are seeing, however, is an aerodynamic development race between teams, and we must make sure we fight for the points. It’s an intense battle, where now a tenth of a second is really making the difference. We will make sure we get to fighting for points soon .”
