Our cars are evil and I’m dreading this race...but I’ll fix broken Williams team
TO MY surprise Claire Williams steps out from behind her desk and sits next to me. If ever there was a time for putting up barriers it is surely now. But Williams’ deputy team principal knows there is nowhere to hide.
With nine constructors’ championship titles, Williams are the second-most successful team in Formula One history. Only Ferrari with 16 have won more.
But while the red cars lead the way in 2018, Williams are propping up the table having collected just four points so far. They are 12 adrift of next-best Sauber and 243 behind Ferrari.
On the eve of her team’s home race, Williams admits the plight of the organisation her father, Frank, established in 1977 is heartbreaking and that she dreads seeing their ‘evil’ cars at today’s British Grand Prix.
‘There’s a part of me that’s dreading Silverstone because you always want to do well at your home race,’ said Williams (right). ‘I’m not sure that’s going to be possible this year. Knowing you’re going to let your fans down before you even get to the race is tough.
‘It hurts and it’s heart-breaking. That sounds extreme but this is my family’s team and it is heart-breaking to see it like this. I have an enormous affection for this team, it’s like another sibling that needs constant nurturing at the moment. We’re in the wars.’
The tone is a far cry from just five months ago. Having finished no lower than fifth since 2014, technical chief Paddy Lowe was bullish at the team’s pre-season launch in February, convinced this year’s car could help them close the gap to the frontrunners ‘considerably’.
Nine races in, Williams said: ‘Clearly there are many things we’re doing wrong at the moment. We’re unearthing a lot of problems. It’s never the work of a moment turning an F1 team around when you’re nearly three seconds off the pace.
‘We have a recovery programme in place that focuses on our aerodynamic performance. It’s clear for everyone to see, that’s the heart of our problem. But it takes a long time to get a new front wing or aerodynamic device.
‘The drivers (Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin) are doing everything you could ask of them when you give them a car that clearly isn’t able to compete in any way, shape or form. They keep putting their helmets on and getting into that car, which is pretty evil. I wouldn’t want to get in it.
‘The guys are working hard and hopefully we will have some fixes and solutions over the course of this year.
‘The lessons we’re learning now are going to be taken forward on to next year’s car, so it’s important we don’t down tools — that’s not what we do at Williams. F1 teams are like orchestras; you need everything working in harmony if you’re going to succeed.’
Paddy Lowe was chief conductor of the FW41 — the first car designed completely under his watch since he moved from Mercedes. Williams insists his job is safe, for now at least.
‘Paddy leads our engineering performance but at the moment we’re not looking at making any changes in that regard,’ said Williams. ‘When you’re in difficult times you have to think about the inner workings of the team and sometimes you need to make difficult decisions.
‘Clearly I have to take responsibility. Unfortunately, I can’t deliver on the engineering side. I can’t design a front wing — I wish I could. But it’s my team, we have a responsibility to deliver and we haven’t done that.’
The British Grand Prix is the last leg of the sport’s first ‘triple header’ of races on consecutive weekends. There is little opportunity for rest or escape for Williams, who is determined to turn the tide.
‘I never stop thinking about it,’ she said. ‘I don’t think anyone really does when you work in a sports team whether you’re doing well or not. But you have to allow yourself the time because when it becomes so allconsuming you don’t end up being productive if you’re working 24-7. ‘I spend time with my little boy and my husband and just have a very chilled time at home. I’m losing sleep and I’ve got a young baby which doesn’t help. But sleep is for wimps and I want to get this team sorted.’