Tag: williams f1 team

Mexico GP Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

The Williams F1 team previews the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix in Mexico.

Felipe Massa

“It’s the first time I have ever been to Mexico so I am excited to go there. The track has a lot of history in Formula One, even though it has changed a little bit. I hear the tickets sold out in less than a week, so there is clearly a passion for motorsport.

“The track has a very long straight and some high speed corners, but also some very slow elements too. It is hard to say exactly what it will be like until we have driven it, but I am looking forward to it.”

Valtteri Bottas

“The track and place is new to me, so I am looking forward to finding out more about both. I like spicy foods so that is one thing I am looking forward to. As a track it looks interesting with high and low speed corners and a very long straight.

“It will be interesting to see how the high altitude has an effect on the cooling of the cars but also its physical effects on me as a driver. I was too young to watch the race last time they were in Mexico, but the track has been changed. I hear there will be a lot of fans so I am looking forward to meeting them.”

Rob Smedley, Head of Performance Engineering

“Mexico is an unknown for us all. It has been a while since Formula One has been there but as engineers we are looking forward to the challenge.

“We have to bounce back from a difficult Grand Prix in Austin and we are confident we can do that.

“We have to make sure we take away all the points that are on offer and play to our strengths to maintain the gaps to our rivals in the championships.”

Photo Credits: Williams F1 Martini Racing

October 29, 2015
Hamilton holds the lead in second practice

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton continued to set the pace during Friday’s practice sessions for the Chinese Grand Prix as he ended the second practice session almost half a second faster than Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton posted a time of 1:37.219 during the low-fuel runs on Option tyres finishing 0.443s ahead of Raikkonen. The Finn’s performance on the soft tyres was very impressive and long run pace on the Prime tyres was also right up there with Mercedes. The stage certainly seems set for an epic battle this weekend.

Red Bull’s struggles continued with Daniel Ricciardo only making it out of the garage at the 45 minute mark, but the Australian driver managed to post the third fastest time of the session – just over a second down on Hamilton’s time.

His team mate, Daniil Kvyat posted the sixth fastest time but his session came to an early end in the barriers after he suffered a brake failure. He had left the pits with a brake problem and Red Bull called him back to the garage informing him to slowly make his way back, but he headed into the gravel at the hairpin, into the barrier and damaged his front wing.

Sebastian Vettel spun off early in on in the session but recovered to finish fourth fastest, with Nico Rosberg managing fifth after running wide at the final corner on his hot lap.

Valtteri Bottas finished seventh for Williams and Sauber’s Felipe Nasr was eighth.

After sitting out the first practice session, Romain Grosjean headed out to finish ninth and Jenson Button rounded out the Top 10 in his McLaren. The McLaren team have made some definite improvements with Button only about 0.4 seconds off Grosjean’s pace on the soft tyres.

Pastor Maldonado was fastest through the speed trap but finished only 11th fastest, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Marcus Ericsson and the Toro Rosso youngsters Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr.

Nico Hulkenberg placed his Force India in 16th, ahead of Felipe Massa.

The Brazilian driver’s session also ended early when he locked his rear tyres under braking at the hairpin and spinning off into the barriers – also damaging his front wing. His spin brought out a brief red flag while his Williams was recovered from the track.

Sergio Perez was 18th quickest, ahead of Robert Merhi and Will Stevens for the Manor Marussia team.

Stevens spent most of the session in the garage with a power unit problem but was able to head out onto track in the final few minutes of the session.

The session was punctuated by a spectator who ran across the pit straight between the flying cars of Ericsson and Hulkenberg.

The idiotic fan was arrested and taken into police custody.

You can watch the madness here.

And is if that didn’t make the session interesting enough, a couple was spotted in the stands having their wedding photos taken.

Talk about a High Speed Wedding and all. Let’s hope their marriage is a little slower paced and longer lasting.

If today’s practice sessions are anything to go by, Sunday’s race is going to be very interesting! A lot will depend on who can make their soft tyres last longest – with Ferrari already proving at the Malaysian Grand Prix that their cars are very easy on the rubber. Today too, the Ferraris showed their ability to make their tyres last. Lewis Hamilton completed 11 laps on the soft tyre before seeing a significant drop-off. Sebastian Vettel on the other hand, was still setting decent times after 14 laps on the softer rubber.

There’s still plenty to play for though – Hamilton’s pace advantage is a lot bigger than in Malaysia so Ferrari will need to work hard to catch him if he races off into a lead.

Please join us on Twitter @F1_Madness tomorrow for live coverage and chat throughout the third practice and qualifying sessions.

Here is your timesheet for the second practice session:

April 10, 2015
F1 Video: Coolest pit stop ever by Williams Martini Racing and Hackett London

Any fan of Formula One loves a good pit stop. And we’ve seen some pretty awesome pit stops in the past! Check out what must be the coolest F1 pit stop ever by the Willams Martini Racing team in this ad for team sponsor Hackett London.

March 13, 2015
Williams F1 Team launch first images of FW37

The Williams F1 Team has become the first team to reveal its 2015 Formula One title contender, with a computer rendered image of its FW37 appearing on the front cover of this month’s F1 Racing magazine.

Following that, the team followed up with images of the Fw37 on their website along with a statement from the team.

Ahead of the imminent launch of Force India’s new livery later today, the Williams team, who finished in third place in the 2014 Constructors’ Championship, showed off the FW37, which features a revised front nose in order to comply with the 2015 regulations and rule changes.

The FW37 will be piloted once again by Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, and the car will again be powered by Mercedes engines.

Minor changes to the Martini-based livery are seen including new the appearance of new sponsors Rexona, Avanade and Hackett.

“The notion for the FW37 was to look closely at the FW36 and its performances,” said Williams Martini Racing’s Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds in a statement on the team website. “We then went about recognising what had worked well and identifying and resolving the areas that we felt needed to be improved. Although the aerodynamics of the car were impressive there is always room for improvement particularly as we handle the new 2015 nose regulations,” he continued.

According to the statement the design of the FW37 has stemmed from the performance of the FW36 but the conceptual ideas came long before the 2014 successes.

“The first conceptual stage of the FW37 came before the FW36 had turned a wheel,” Symonds continued. The main element to this is understanding the rule changes and how they will affect the design of the car, from here we can start see if our ideas will fit within the regulations”.

The Williams team managed to rack up nine podiums throughout the 2014 season and also enjoyed a front row lockout at the Austrian Grand Prix. They placed third in the Constructors’ championship and are looking to continue their climb up the ladder.

“The desire to beat Ferrari to third place in the Constructors’ in 2014 meant we pushed our development through to late autumn, but the size of the team is now at a point where it was able to sustain this development whilst still working on the FW37,” Symonds said.

The layout phase of the FW37 was completed by the summer break in August, according to the team. Work on the new front bulkhead was a main priority for the designers and aerodynamicists due to the changes to the regulations for 2015.

“The change in regulations offered us a slight headache,” Symonds explained. “The new front bulkhead and nose geometry had much more of an impact than we had initially anticipated and the effect on the aero was profound. The team have worked hard on pulling back the deficit these regulations have made for us”.

But, the team has its eyes on more podiums this year and Williams is hoping to catch Mercedes with their FW37 this season.

“The more rule stability there is, the closer the field gets. I hope as a team we are more capable of maintaining the forward momentum to catch Mercedes, than the teams behind us are of catching us. It’s not just about stable regulations but also about the team and every individual that works here moving forward and improving.”

Frank Williams, Team Principal concluded the team statement saying that, “The team had a fantastic season last year, we are aiming to replicate this development over the winter and to start the 2015 season in a strong position. We have an enormously talented group of people here at Williams who want nothing more than the team to do well. This passion produced a great turn around in fortunes for the team in 2014 and everybody has worked tirelessly to continue that climb up the grid.

“We have added a few more high profile names to accompany the incredibly supportive group of partners we have,” Frank Williams added. “After a very strong first year with Mercedes we are looking to further develop the relationship as we look for more podiums in 2015. I feel this year will be equally as exciting as the last and look forward to seeing the FW37 on the grid at the first race.”

January 21, 2015
Williams engineering team shake-up for 2015, Massa gets new engineer

The Williams F1 Team has announced a number of changes to their engineering team ahead of the 2015 season.

This includes recruiting Dave Robson from McLaren to take over as Felipe Massa’s new race engineer.

Robson, who spent several years at McLaren working as Jenson Button’s race engineer, will report to Williams’ Head of Vehicle Performance Rob Smedley who was Massa’s race engineer at Ferrari.

The shake-up sees Massa’s former engineer Andrew Murdoch promoted to the role of Senior Performance Engineer where he will lead the performance group at Williams’ Grove base and work on developing new techniques and processes within the team to ensure that performance improvements are rolled out to both cars throughout the 2015 season.

Murdoch will still be seen on the pit wall as he will remain part of the trackside team, focusing on Valtteri Bottas’s car. Bottas will still be engineered by Jonathan Eddolls.

Carl Gaden who joined the Williams team in 1988 and has served 22 years as their chief mechanic has also been promoted. He will take on the role of Senior Car Systems Engineer and will now be responsible for system reliability. Mark Pattinson, previously Number One Mechanic on Felipe Massa’s car, has been promoted to replace Gaden as Chief Mechanic for the team.

“Off the back of a great 2014 campaign Williams is determined to continue this positive momentum into the new season, and these recent changes show our commitment to that goal,” said chief technical officer Pat Symonds.

“We are proud to be able to promote our existing talent to help strengthen every area within our engineering team and we will continue to invest in new talent where necessary to ensure we have the support and resources to achieve our on-track ambitions throughout 2015 and beyond.

“Our engineering team for the coming season is looking strong and I’m excited to get the new season underway.”

Williams finished the 2014 season in 3rd place in the Constructors’ Championship – their highest finish since 2003.

January 6, 2015
Bottas puts Williams on top in FP3

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas set the quickest time during FP3 ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend.Bottas set a time of 1:09.848 to end the session 0.050s faster than Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton at the Red Bull Ring.

Felipe Massa was third fastest, and Daniil Kvyat put his Toro Rosso in a surprise fourth place. Nico Rosberg had a couple of off-track excursions during FP3 but ended the session fifth fastest ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The Top 10 were rounded out by Kevin Magnussen, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

Sergio Perez, who finished in 15th place on the timesheets, ran wide twice at the final corner, airlifting his Force India the second time around.

Max Chilton and Jenson Button were both unable to set a time on option tyres due to mechanical problems. Button damaged the floor of his McLaren which will need replacing before qualifying, along with his right rear brake caliper.

The session was a positive one for Ferrari and reports are that they will be running their new set up for qualifying and the race tomorrow.

It’s highly unlikely that anyone will snatch the top places away from the Mercedes drivers come qualifying later on, but if anyone poses the slightest threat right now it’ll be the Williams duo. Keep your eyes on that team, they’re really progressing nicely!

Your full FP3 timesheet is below. Join us 2pm GMT+2 on Twitter for live chat and commentary throughout the session. And don’t forget to enter to WIN A VIP TRIP TO THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX!

June 21, 2014
The Williams F1 Team’s FW36

The Williams F1 team revealed the first images of their 2014 contender, the FW36 on Thursday via its website and Twitter.

The images released are a digital rendering of the car which is shown in an interim all-navy blue livery. The released images were met with much skepticism and criticism from fans on the social networks – specifically around the narrow nose which features on the FW36. The nose is far narrower and has even been reported to resemble that of an anteater but is necessary according to the team to meet FIA regulations while allowing for as much airflow as possible under the car. Most teams are expected to adopt similar solutions to meet the 2014 regulations.

According to the team, the FW36 is one of the “most technologically advanced Formula One cars produced by Williams” and is the culmination of more than two years’ research and development by the team’s technical departments. It is also incorporates the power unit from the team’s new partner, Mercedes-Benz.

The FW36 will be the first Williams powered by a Mercedes engine, with the all new V6 turbo and Energy Recovery Systems. “This is the first time that Williams has worked with Mercedes in F1 and we’ve been very impressed,” says Williams Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds. “Their professionalism and commitment have been notable and we’re as confident as we can be that the power unit will be competitive.”

“There’s a lot more technology on the cars this year,” he continued. “We’ve had turbo-charged engines in F1 before; what’s different this time is that it is much more than just an engine change, it is a completely different system. We’ve gone from a slightly hybridised normally aspirated engine to a fully integrated hybrid power unit with novel technology at its heart.

“Overall the cars will need more cooling this year. The demands on water and oil cooling may be slightly diminished, but the ERS system is significantly more powerful and hence needs more cooling. We also have to cool the charge air from the turbocharger compressor which requires a substantial intercooler.”

According to the team, the FW36’s gearbox ran on the dyno for the first time at the beginning of November, before running with the full power unit several weeks later. It’s also the first eight-speed gearbox in Williams’ history.

Symonds explained, “We finished the gearbox relatively early. It’s completed a lot of running on the test rig and at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, but you can’t take reliability for granted. It’s a completely new ‘box and it has to cope with a lot more torque than was the case with the V8.”

The team also explained on their website that the weight of the car, when combined with the FIA’s ever more stringent crash tests, has been another big challenge for them. But they’re proud of the fact that the FW36 was one of the first cars to pass its crash tests prior to Christmas.

“The build of the new car has gone remarkably smoothly,” said Symonds. “But it’s been a challenge to get the car down to the weight limit. It’s been achievable, but it hasn’t been easy because the new power unit is heavier than the outgoing V8.”

Most fans will be waiting to see the aerodynamic impact of the changes made on the FW36 which we’ll only get to see at testing next week but Symonds is confident that the team have made great strides forward and are closer to competing with the cars up front. “I’m confident that we’ll be closer to the front aerodynamically than we were last year,” he said. “Our ambition for the year ahead is to have a strong 2014 season.”

January 24, 2014
Rob Smedley will not be Felipe Massa’s 2014 race engineer

Rumours that Rob Smedley would work with Felipe Massa this year as his Williams Team race engineer have been put to bed after the team confirmed the race engineers assigned to their drivers for the season.

Smedley will not be working as Massa’s race engineer this year. Instead, Felipe baby will be hearing from Andrew Murdoch on the pit wall – Pastor Maldonado’s Williams engineer before his departure to Lotus.

Massa’s 2014 team mate, Valterri Bottas is to continue his partnership with Jonathan Eddolls.

There is no word yet on what Smedley’s role within the team will be but it is thought to be a more senior role.

Photo Credit: Ferrari.com

January 23, 2014
Williams Q & A with Felipe Massa

Following confirmation that Felipe Massa has been signed to drive for Williams in 2014 alongside Valterri Bottas, it’s time to catch up with Felipe about his thoughts on his move to Williams, the 2014 driver line-up and the season ahead.

Q. Felipe, you have been confirmed as a Williams F1 Team driver for the 2014 season, your first time with a British team. Does it feel like you’re making a new start in your career?

It does feel like a new start in my career. I had a great time at Ferrari but now I’m very happy to be joining Williams for 2014. I’ve always watched them and followed them as a team, especially in the successful years so I’m very proud to now be driving for this team and to start a new chapter in my career.

Q. You had other options aside from Williams; tell us a bit more about what attracted you to the team?

It was the best option for me; it really is a team that wants to grow and is determined to get back to where they were in the past. I want to help the team with this and I think it could be a very successful era.

Q. 2013 has been a difficult year for the team. Why are you so convinced that things can improve going into 2014?

Everything is changing in 2014; it is like a restart for everybody and you need the resources and personnel in place to make sure you’re on top of this. From what I see and hear at Williams, everything is in place to go in the right direction and to keep moving forward.

Q. How impressed are you with the facilities at Grove on your first day here with the team?

It is my first day here and I’m just trying to get to know the facilities and the area, but everything is very impressive; there is a great set up here and there’s no reason why we can’t build on this to push hard for next season.

Q. You have a new teammate next year in Valtteri Bottas; what do you know about him and how excited are you to work with him?

He’s proved this year to be a very good driver and very quick. Pastor was always very quick, especially in qualifying, so to keep pace with him in the first year is impressive. I’m looking forward to using my experience to help Valtteri develop further and to work together to do well as a team.

November 12, 2013
Williams F1 Preview Quotes – Indian Grand Prix

Here are the preview quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the Indian Grand Prix this weekend.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams F1

“All the drivers seem to enjoy the Indian circuit due to its fantastic design and high speeds and I will miss it not being on the calendar next year. I particularly like the 180-degree right hander which is taken very fast and seems to go on forever. Of the new generation of circuits this is one of the best with its good variety, combining fast chicanes, slow corners, and corners that require a big KERS input. Normally the track is quite dirty on Friday as the track is not used that often outside of the Formula One race weekend, but it does tend to improve as the weekend progresses with more rubber being laid down and the grip levels vastly improving.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams F1

“India is always a unique place to visit and I enjoy the contrasts with other races on the calendar so I’m looking forward to returning again this year. It’s a really interesting track to drive and normally produces entertaining races, with a good mixture of corner types that test the car and driver. The track does have some overtaking opportunities because it is quite wide, with the hairpin off the back straight a key opportunity. The weather can also be warm and humid which can be challenging physically. We have not had the sort of results that we would have hoped for so far in the second half of the season, but I will continue to fight as hard as I can and try to get the most out of the package we have to try and get us in to the points.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams F1 chief race engineer
“The Indian Grand Prix takes place at the Buddh International Circuit, which was new on the calendar for the 2011 season. With fast, free-flowing and undulating characteristics the track has drawn comparisons to Spa-Francorchamps with the track rising by 14 metres within the first three corners. The track has a mixture of fast and slow corners making it challenging for the drivers, with the multi-apex sequence of Turns 10, 11 and 12 likened to Turn 8 at the Istanbul Park Circuit in Turkey. The Indian Grand Prix features one of the longest pit lanes in F1 and this contributes to a higher than average pit loss which pushes strategies towards fewer stops. Track temperatures are likely to be relatively high and to date there has never been a safety car in the race. After finishing just outside the points in recent races, the team will be pushing hard until the very last race of the season to score a top ten finish.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“We have learnt a lot about the track in the past two years. It is an interesting circuit, with a variety of corners and speeds throughout the lap. The first part requires good top speed and power since 75 percent of this sector consists of straights. The second part of the track is twistier and requires a more driveable and responsive engine. However the main feature of the track is the high levels of dust at the start of the weekend, which makes the circuit surface very slippery. To deal with this we will moderate the driver torque maps to give greater driveability and less wheelspin on the entrance and exit of corners to try to extend tyre life.”

October 23, 2013