Williams rates offence as the best defence against Alfa Romeo

Russian Grand Prix

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Williams rates offence as the best defence against Alfa Romeo

Williams holds a 16 point advantage over Alfa Romeo with seven races remaining

Sam Hall

Wednesday 29 September 2021 16:10

Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson has labelled offence as the best form of defence as the team looks to fend off Alfa Romeo for eighth in the F1 constructors' standings.

Williams has gone from strength to strength after ending its two-year wait for a points score with Nicholas Latifi and Geroge Russell unexpectedly coming home in seventh and eighth in Hungary,

Only in the Netherlands has the team failed to score since with Russell standing on the podium, albeit in unconventional circumstances, in Belgium.

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However, both the Belgian Grand Prix podium and points in Russia were secured largely in qualifying, with Williams gambling to perfection with its tyre strategy.

Asked if the 16 point margin over Alfa Romeo allowed for certain risks to be taken, Robson said: “I think there is some truth in that.

"Especially when days like Saturday pan out because that was the kind of opportunity where they could have come storming back at us and on this occasion, they haven’t had a great day and we’ve done alright.

“So that definitely unlocks a little bit of freedom. But I think we can take confidence in the decisions we have been taking and we can carry on with that approach and there is a lot of truth in offence being a good form of defence in this kind of situation.

“It’s far better that we’re ahead of them and then controlling things during the race."

The 23 points registered by Williams this term eclipses the eight points scored in total across the previous three years although remains some way from its 83 in 2017.

Despite enjoying the rewards through Williams' risk-taking, Robson was quick to urge caution against complacency.

“Equally, we’ve got to be a little bit careful that we don’t get lost in our own hubris because at the moment it is all good and we just keep up that momentum and keep taking those decisions," he added.

“That cushion helps that and hopefully helps it to grow.”