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Paddy Lowe has admitted Williams' young driver lineup is a challenge amid the team's big current problems. The once-great British team's technical boss said even Williams engineers were caught by surprise by the extent of the 2018 car's issues early this year.
"Everyone in the field has their problems, but we have bigger ones," he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. Deputy boss Claire Williams said the car has three main issues, but declined to name them. "We don't really like airing our dirty linen in public at Williams," she said.
But one of them may be drivers. Already with 19-year-old pay-driver Lance Stroll at the team, Williams was criticised for pairing him with rookie Sergey Sirotkin. "Having two young drivers doesn't make the task easier when the car doesn't work," Lowe admitted.
Former F1 driver Timo Glock agrees that Williams' drivers are an issue. "They may be fast, but it's also important to develop a car in the right direction," he told Speed Week. "They had big problems all weekend in Bahrain and didn't get on top of them at all. They lack experience," Glock added.
One option might be to oust one of them in favour of the experienced Robert Kubica, or at least give the Polish reserve driver more Friday practice outings than are already scheduled. Lowe doesn't think so. "Then we would be taking away important track time for Sergey. But he needs every kilometre," he said.
Lowe said the important thing now is for Williams to not panic. "It would be wrong to become depressed," he insisted. "Only if we work purposefully can we reverse the trend." (GMM)
Grand Prix of Belgium
C. Sainz jr
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Replies (9)
Login to replyrenaultFanF1
Posts: 80
Kubica regrets joining Williams more and more by the hour
mbmwe36
Posts: 533
I don't think so. Things literally couldn't have gone more his way under the circumstances. It wasn't like anybody was offering him a race seat. Now he's just biting his time until Williams panics
Danimal5981
Posts: 639
Indeed: best scenario for Kubica - the more Lowe, Sirotkin and Stroll continue to sink, the more his chance will come.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Williams was his only way into F1. He took the bite, and how he'll bide his time and hope for a race seat, be it at Williams or some other team.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Everyone at Williams has such a backward and contrarian way of thinking: Kubica has more experience and could help develop the car faster, but we will not give him extra time on track because it would slow down Sergei's development. Smh
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Well, Sirotkin is younger and has more money. Make Sirotkin "git gud", and you get a decent performing cash cow. Thats the theory, at least. I sadly think the practice looks pretty different. I will wait bit longer to judge him, but I can say that I am disappointed by Stroll so far. Even with a bad car, a good driver should be able to make something out of it. Looking at Alonso last year (and Button), Hulk, Perez, you name it.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Or wehrlein for that matter. Merc' or not in that Manor, he did very well with that car.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
@Calle I think there is no doubt in most people's minds that while that Williams is the worst car they have produced in years, it's definitely should not be coming in last place and a lot of that is down to drivers. Yes, particularly Stroll. Sergei at least can get some cover because he is a rookie, but even then he's already out qualified and outraced Stroll once in two races.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Yeah, as I've said before, mediocre drivers racing a shit car. But Williams will need to do something. They have been one of the more profitable teams of the midfield for a while now, maybe its time to put that cash into use? Unfortunately I think they will retain Stroll even if he underperforms. Daddy Stroll is a part-owner after all. :/