[Team] Williams: Do they have a spare tub?

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Brawn was run with a group with all these systems in place from the Tyrrell/BAR/Honda days... and had a fair clip of budget to keep the thing alive from Honda not wanting to shut the place. That said, there were only 2 Brawn tubs werent there?

Williams clearly found the coin to express airfreight the broken chassis tub back to Europe for repair, and to eventually send on to Japan...

Perhaps there is a timing issue of the software introduction, to replace Excel. Presumably its now multi user (which Excel can kinda handle but there are fleas...) and able to take on more and more detail and pukka batch recording and control. It could have been done to control parts on the '23 car.. maybe they figured it was a lot of work to do so for parts the team will never have use for again...

Wonder if it put anyone out of a gig to modernise this way. I somehow imagine a data entry operator keying into the Excel model from hell...

I'd happily work for a F1 team if it meant punching a bunch of data from Excel into a new program!

I'll take a small salary and attendance at each race on the calendar. Super cheap labour.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Perhaps there is a timing issue of the software introduction, to replace Excel.

This should be required reading for this topic...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...f1-revolution/

Effectively a video version of that article (previously posted a few pages back)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazUi6K4W6w

From the article...

According to Vowles, the Excel spreadsheet was being migrated to a digital system at the same time the car’s “technology base” was going through its own colossal overhaul.

Unsurprisingly, doing both in tandem was a nightmare. Williams was completely changing how things were stored digitally within the organisation and the quantity of parts being produced to be logged in this new system people were unfamiliar with.

Delays led to workers having to sleep at the factory and effectively pull overnighters to get things ready. Vowles recalls the car was still just a big bag of bits by January, while Fry says: “If you go back to how we worked, whatever, 20 years ago, loads of bits would be late and someone will put their Superman underpants on over the outside of their trousers, rush round and save the day.

“We're still kind of working in that mode, really.

In short, the transition (which they are still in) has been painful. It sounds like they were just struggling to get two cars ready let along have appropriate spairs.

Introduction of anything like this doesn't create a well oiled machine overnight. It's not just about a specific tool, but the process it supports and in the end the thinking behind how you do all of this. See his culture comments below...

Vowles reckons it’s a three-year process to get a 1000-strong workforce to fully adopt a new culture.

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Wonder if it put anyone out of a gig to modernise this way. I somehow imagine a data entry operator keying into the Excel model from hell...

Cultural and process change like this is likely will to result in organization restructuring.

Why do any of this?...

Fry reckons Williams’s process of making a car is inefficient, leaving everything “massively late” without a good performance-based reason for that being the case. Williams signed off the relevant aero surfaces quite early in the process yet was still somehow scrambling around for parts late on.

That’s because the flawed processes caused a mountain of parts to pile up, delaying production. It wasted time, and wasn’t cost efficient either, which is relevant in F1’s budget cap era. Fry says what Williams managed to do this winter was “viciously expensive”

Richard

[P38 in workshop]

Regarding the cost of airfreighting the damaged chassis back and forth;if they have a thousand people on the payroll it is a minute portion of the budget and the probability is that they have already reserved some space on a flight for spares and updates for Japan.Of far greater concern ought to be that they have now spent far too much of the budget building two chassis in time for the season and the cost cap will severely limit will limit the freedom to update as the season progresses.It would also be unwise to cut corners with the progress of next year's car.Looks like a tough season ahead.

[S griffin]

Williams lack of budget is still showing. I wonder if they will struggle to see out the season at this rate. Especially with the schedule this year

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

Of far greater concern ought to be that they have now spent far too much of the budget building two chassis in time for the season and the cost cap will severely limit will limit the freedom to update as the season progresses.It would also be unwise to cut corners with the progress of next year's car.Looks like a tough season ahead.

I think this is a good point. See the comment from my post above (shown below)

Fry says what Williams managed to do this winter was “viciously expensive”

I think this is inline with your comment that they spent too much money for not enough equipment. So to get the spares built will use money that might otherwise have been spent on ongoing development. If they operate with fewer spares over the duration of the season they can at least bring forward spares that sync up with development items. Meaning there may never be enough spares for start of season spec. But something like a spare tub (which would be valid all season) is needed.

Originally Posted by S griffin

Williams lack of budget is still showing. I wonder if they will struggle to see out the season at this rate. Especially with the schedule this year

I think that is much more dire than their reality. I expect them to do the full season. But until they improve operational efficiency they will likely spend more money per unit output than is needed.

Also... sorry for the long winded posts recently. I need to work to trim them down. This one included.

Richard

[GTRMagic]

Will Mr Sargeant’s commercial partners still pay for the equivalent of the cost of branding at the AGP if their preferred driver could not race because the team didn’t have their stuff together?

[Richard C]

Vowles answering questions regarding Australia race weekend and impacts on Japan...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-68PE61TjUY

Richard

[GTRMagic]

Poor bugger…!
I’m sure it’s to reduce the effort in Japan swapping over the engine, transmission, electronics etc between the chassis.

But it doesn’t seem right..

[GTRMagic]

Poor bugger…!
I’m sure it’s to reduce the effort in Japan swapping over the engine, transmission, electronics etc between the chassis.

But it doesn’t seem right..

[peebee2]

This sort of thing happens all the time.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by peebee2

This sort of thing happens all the time.

I would expect so. I can imagine that once they have a third spare chassis that the repaired chassis is likely to be become the spare and they will use the remaining two as primaries.

Richard

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

But it doesn’t seem right..

just my opinion, but it kind of seems exactly right. why shouldn't their better driver get the most optimal equipment available. more so when its a team that cant afford or is otherwise unable to provide an equal level of equipment?

to keep his seat, LS is going to have to do more with less. harsh maybe but the reality of sport no?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

just my opinion, but it kind of seems exactly right. why shouldn't their better driver get the most optimal equipment available. more so when its a team that cant afford or is otherwise unable to provide an equal level of equipment?

to keep his seat, LS is going to have to do more with less. harsh maybe but the reality of sport no?

Aren’t both pilots on zero points?

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

just my opinion, but it kind of seems exactly right. why shouldn't their better driver get the most optimal equipment available. more so when its a team that cant afford or is otherwise unable to provide an equal level of equipment?

Because he is the one who crashed his own car?

If the repaired wreck is as good as new as the team claims, then there should be no qualms with Alex driving it.

Is a Gasly or an Ocon or a Hulkenberg or a Magnussen or a Sainz going to be interested in driving the second Williams, if it seems Williams can't supply two cars of decent quality?

[Go Harder.]

FP1 red flagged, LS in the fence.



Chassis decision justified?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Go Harder.

FP1 red flagged, LS in the fence.



Chassis decision justified?

Depends why the car crashed…

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Because he is the one who crashed his own car?

If the repaired wreck is as good as new as the team claims, then there should be no qualms with Alex driving it.

Is a Gasly or an Ocon or a Hulkenberg or a Magnussen or a Sainz going to be interested in driving the second Williams, if it seems Williams can't supply two cars of decent quality?

Ironically, in reality, a repaired tub is very often a preferred tub amongst drivers and engineers.

[GTRMagic]

”Sargeant Has Race To Race Contract” - Ralf Schumacher

If true.. when is Mr Schumacher or Mr Mazepin or whoever KimiII coming to drive…

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

”Sargeant Has Race To Race Contract” - Ralf Schumacher

If true.. when is Mr Schumacher or Mr Mazepin or whoever KimiII coming to drive…

Lol, virtually every driver has a contract that doesn’t guarantee actual driving.

Ralf loves to give his opinion but doesn’t half talk some shite.

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

”Sargeant Has Race To Race Contract” - Ralf Schumacher

If true.. when is Mr Schumacher or Mr Mazepin or whoever KimiII coming to drive…

A Ralph Schumacher quote not absolutely slating Haas? That must mean that by inference he is hoping that Mick will get a chance of a drive in the Williams.

I tend to ignore any article with a Ralph Schumacher quote in it. It was only a short while ago that he was making a suggestion for who should replace Hamilton in Mercedes. It might not come as a surprise who that recommended driver is - someone close to home and not Vettel.

[P38 in workshop]

Am I the only one to think that Ralf Schumacher is becoming a dial a quote service?

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Depends why the car crashed…

Did look like driver error unfortunately.

Last weekend can't have done his confidence any good.

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Lol, virtually every driver has a contract that doesn’t guarantee actual driving.

Ralf loves to give his opinion but doesn’t half talk some shite.

At the moment that seems normal for all EX Drivers especially trashing DR however I guess that have to continue their relevance somehow.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

Am I the only one to think that Ralf Schumacher is becoming a dial a quote service?

Along with Jordan and Villenuerve - all spewing nonsense

[Moneyseeker]

The mighty days of Williams seems like looking way back in history. Despite whatever reset/reorganisation/staff movements they have, the team is just mired at the back of the midfield at best. Shame.

Dorlin are buyers and sellers, that's how they make their money, so I do wonder how long it will be before the for sale sign gets hoisted over Grove.