James Vowles downplays worries as Williams gears up with a unique car for 2024, despite a delayed start.
The team was the last to ready a significantly different car for the new championship, having skipped a shakedown session at Silverstone.
The FW46 eventually made its appearance in Bahrain just before the start of the official pre-season testing, but by Wednesday, it seemed fragile in terms of reliability and pace.
Speculation suggests Williams abandoned its winter project of adopting the rear suspension from Mercedes’ W15 for 2024, opting instead for the 2023 setup. This purportedly caused the delay.
“It’s too early to say more,” Alex Albon commented after limited testing on Wednesday, “but it’s clear it lacks a number of last year’s car’s characteristic flaws. Yet, it seems other issues have emerged.”
Vowles, however, has downplayed any hint of a crisis at the start of 2024.
“The goal for 2024? It’s not a championship position, but rather the external perception of the team. We want people to notice the change. Obviously, we aim to achieve results, but our goal is to revive this team for a promising future.”
“We’re heading in the right direction now. There’s still a lot to change, but it doesn’t happen in a year or even three. I’m very proud of our car for this year. It’s a single-seater that’s quite different from previous years, with many technical changes. We’ll see how it performs over the next few days in terms of performance.”
As a former strategy director at Mercedes, James Vowles spent many years working with Lewis Hamilton. The Brit shared his thoughts on the seven-time world champion’s departure.
“For the sport and Ferrari, it’s great, but we need to think long-term, not just 2025 but also 2026-2027. This departure also allows Mercedes to rebuild a future from within. For Lewis, it’s a significant step in his career. I believe this change is very good for everyone except Mercedes in the next two years.”
Williams 2024 Season Concerns. Williams 2024 Season Concerns
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