[Team] Williams Expects Better...Will they ever do better?

[darcym]

Since the start of the season Williams has said "it will do better at the next race" and given varying reasons for poor performances at race weekends.

This has been a claim of Wlliams for a while now, and not with out good cause when you look at the engineering pedigree.

The question is will they click and get this car working right on a race weekend ?

Have they got the right guys calling the shots in the team ?

Have they got the right guys driving ?

Where is it going wrong ?

[Gingers4Justice]

Its so competitive that perhaps they are imrpoving each race - but so are the others as they perfect their set-ups etc.

[BootsOntheSide]

Things can only get worse for Williams this season. They needed to be racking up points immediately, but they've faield to convert their obvious speed into results for whatever reasons. The only saving grace might be their flywheel KERS system if it proves to be a better method than the electrical option, but I can't see it outweighing what they will lose as other teams modify their diffusers. The team has been in decline ever since BMW left them, and their only realistic hope for the future is that Toyota switch to purely supplying engines.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Things can only get worse for Williams this season. They needed to be racking up points immediately, but they've faield to convert their obvious speed into results for whatever reasons. The only saving grace might be their flywheel KERS system if it proves to be a better method than the electrical option, but I can't see it outweighing what they will lose as other teams modify their diffusers. The team has been in decline ever since BMW left them, and their only realistic hope for the future is that Toyota switch to purely supplying engines.

Second that.

[ralf fan]

Sadly, Williams' time was when they were only one of three with the special diffusers. They failed to capitalize and were off the pace even with the diffusers although Nico was slightly unlucky in Malaysia and Australia. Seems like now almost all the teams will be switching to the new diffusers and the advantage they had will disappear. Can see it being a long hard struggle for Williams.

[stedevil]

Well, if you have a driver like Nakajima, you pretty much rely on only 1 driver to bring home the bacon. Since Nico is neither a superstar nor has had good fortune, the score looks like it looks. Unless their flywheel comes off bigtime, they are going to struggle to keep even FI behind themselves by mid season.

[Skam85]

Nico would be romping home the FIA Formula One Practice World Championship...

[OZ_HCR32]

Williams normally start reasonably well ad finish well as other teams shift focus to next season. They drop off mid season. Well that has been the case the last 5 or 6 years

I hope the Nico is up to the game of carrying the team. His offseide isnt good for much other then circulating and getting data on what makes the car slow

[Marbot]

Sam Michael on KERS and why they haven't done too well so far.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74944

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74943

[rocketracer]

nakajima gets a hard time, and whilst he's no world beater (and no rosberg), he does a solid job, but has made a couple of obvious mistakes, particularly his melbourne shunt. Plenty of better drivers have made similarly poor mistakes.

the only thing that may be different this year to the last couple of years for williams, is that i think they have been overtaken in past seasons once other teams got hold of their collective aero packages, and started to make them work. I've always thought williams (well in the last 5 years anyway) were very mechanical biased - one of the best in the field, but struggled with a cohesive aero package / development.

They do tend to have good traction and good stability in their chassis on turn-in, and that is true this season also, so monaco might be a good race for them (hopefully!). and rosberg will pull something out for his home race.

It's disappointing they havent capitalised more on their early season advantage, but that's gone now, so no point crying over spilt milk. the good thing about under-performing is that it's simple to make competitive gains - stop making mistakes!

[JeremySmith]

I think Nakajima is a pretty driver myself...

[Just-Right]

To be serious I think Williams is the most interesting team on the grid. In my eyes they exist purely to race, no manufacturer and no sponsor's baby.

Although I think the car was very good at the start they are now slacking in development. I also have the idea that Rosberg isn't as good as well all think. Sure every practice he is fast, however, in qualification and the race itself he doesn't shine as he should. It is certain that at the start of the season we could not blame the car.

I reckon that Williams is in need of a kick ass technical director with a lot of design experience. Nothing less but respect to people like Patrick Head, Sam Michael and Ed Wood, but they need to deliver. If the management isn't good then how can we expect the engineers to come up with a great car. Sam Michael has to my knowledge very little design experience, Ed Wood has some experience but very little compared to the greats as Adrian Newey, but that is what they are up against. Sam Michael is very competent in vehicle simulation, it is unfortunate and I would like to see different but this aspect has become less important.

I would love to see Williams up in the top again. It is the best team out there in terms of emotion and drive.

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by rocketracer

nakajima gets a hard time, and whilst he's no world beater (and no rosberg), he does a solid job, but has made a couple of obvious mistakes, particularly his melbourne shunt. Plenty of better drivers have made similarly poor mistakes.

the only thing that may be different this year to the last couple of years for williams, is that i think they have been overtaken in past seasons once other teams got hold of their collective aero packages, and started to make them work. I've always thought williams (well in the last 5 years anyway) were very mechanical biased - one of the best in the field, but struggled with a cohesive aero package / development.

They do tend to have good traction and good stability in their chassis on turn-in, and that is true this season also, so monaco might be a good race for them (hopefully!). and rosberg will pull something out for his home race.

It's disappointing they havent capitalised more on their early season advantage, but that's gone now, so no point crying over spilt milk. the good thing about under-performing is that it's simple to make competitive gains - stop making mistakes!

Careful - one of the TenT's members works in the aero department at Williams!!

[steve nielsen]

There are several teams who have more money and more staff to improve their car, so they probably have had their best moments of the season already and I personaly think they should have got more points in the first races to take advantage of their "fast out of the box" car ,the other teams will catch up now(and probably overtake them)

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Things can only get worse for Williams this season. They needed to be racking up points immediately, but they've faield to convert their obvious speed into results for whatever reasons. The only saving grace might be their flywheel KERS system if it proves to be a better method than the electrical option, but I can't see it outweighing what they will lose as other teams modify their diffusers. The team has been in decline ever since BMW left them, and their only realistic hope for the future is that Toyota switch to purely supplying engines.

Couldn't agree more. Perfectly summed up

Selby

[Amaroo Park]

so much promise and yet delivered so little, I agree with the above posts that things will only get worse as the season goes on.

[rocketracer]

Originally Posted by JamesH

Careful - one of the TenT's members works in the aero department at Williams!!

i meant no disgrace through my comments - surely anyone who is working in an aero dept of a f1 team such as williams knows far more about f1 than i!

twas just my observation from the expert vantage point of the couch, that's all.

[SennaTheGreat]

I personally don't follow Williams' GP results but I think that F1 needs a stong Williams team. Hopefully they can start winning races soon.

[scoobiesnoop]

I have a soft spot for Williams but I really thought they would do better this season. Given the rule changes, all the talk was of an even playing field, seems a little steeper than they thought. Williams have a great heritage and ARE world champion material in the right circumstances. They certainly have the staff and the management doesn't get much more determined than Frank. As someone has already mentioned, they are in the business of F1 - period! I hope they hit on the magik soon cos' I would love to see a Williams driver on the top step. Oh and Nakjima has got great speed for sure but he's a little bit accident prone. If he can dial that out of his craft then he will make a superb number 2.

[Marbot]

Just to give you some idea of what Williams are up against,McLaren Mercedes have spent around 70 million Euros on KERS whereas Williams have spent less than 2 million Euros on their flywheel system!

[darcym]

I had no idea the gap was THAT big on key systems like kers

[VIVA GT]

I must admit that I think that's an obscene amount of money*. No wonder there's such a big difference between the haves, and the have nots...
*(And I'm referring to the 'lowly' 2 million Euro's that Williams have had to spend, never mind the 70 odd MM have!)

[Marbot]

Source is James Allen ITV,who may not have been the best commentator in the world,but is very good when it comes to finding out information.


"As for spend, Mercedes sank €70 million into it, while Williams has spent less than €2 million on its flywheel system."

And you wonder why we need a budget cap!

If I wanted to see a spending competition I could watch my wife go shopping with her friends on a Saturday afternoon.

[darcym]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Source is James Allen ITV,who may not have been the best commentator in the world,but is very good when it comes to finding out information.


"As for spend, Mercedes sank €70 million into it, while Williams has spent less than €2 million on its flywheel system."

And you wonder why we need a budget cap!

If I wanted to see a spending competition I could watch my wife go shopping with her friends on a Saturday afternoon.

post of the month - thank you

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by Marbot

If I wanted to see a spending competition I could watch my wife go shopping with her friends on a Saturday afternoon.

Please let me in on your secret, what do you do to not be forced to? I'm talking about the wife spending competition of course.