Williams believe 'taking risks' has made car faster

Williams

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Williams believe 'taking risks' has made car faster

Team has enjoyed a resurgence in form

Ian Parkes

Wednesday 6 October 2021 13:55

Williams team principal Jost Capito believes taking risks and greater communication has sparked the team's remarkable resurgence in form.

After a run of 34 races without a point stretching back to July 2019, Williams has now collected points in four of the last five grands prix without adding any performance to the FW34B as development was halted earlier this season.

After finishing rock bottom in each of the previous three seasons, the team is now a comfortable eighth in the constructors' standings, while George Russell is up to 15th in the drivers' table.

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Assessing the upturn, Capito said: "I wouldn't say it was sudden and I don't think it has been because of the impact of the shutdown in the summer.

"It is a continuous improvement of how to work, that we changed organisation, we changed communication structures, we changed responsibilities so we are working much more as a team.

"We have also changed the strategy and how we approach a race event and also got a bit more proactive and aggressive, not just defensive. We have put more pride into the operation so we can do things differently.

"If you have the ninth-fastest car, you can try different things and not always be on the back foot, something that others might not be able to do because they are upfront and for them, it would be risky

"We have taken a risk a couple of times, also with the tyre choice for the weather and it worked out. It shows the team works better overall.

"I am surprised how much that can make the car faster without improving the car."

The impact of new owners Dorilton Capital has clearly been felt, alongside Capito's arrival and that of a new technical director in FX Demaison.

"The groups work more closely together," added Capito. "Before it was track engineering and home engineering and now it is more under one technical director and the technical director was missing before.

"So now these groups work closer, respect each other more and get more out of each other.

"Everything is better understood because more people talk to each other and are getting this understanding."