Williams has emerged as the only team yet to unveil its actual 2024 challenger, sticking instead to last year’s model decked out in the new season’s colors. This move has sparked widespread speculation and concern over the team’s readiness for the upcoming season.
James Vowles, the team boss at Williams, broke the silence on the matter, admitting to a delay in the development of the Mercedes-powered FW46. “What we are doing with the car is pushing everything to the limits,” he explained, highlighting the drastic changes in chassis technology and other innovations the team is introducing. According to Vowles, these changes are “enormous for an organization,” underscoring the ambitious, albeit risky, strategy Williams has adopted.
The push for innovation has evidently taken its toll, propelling the team “beyond where we wanted to be” and behind schedule. Vowles openly acknowledged the gamble, stating, “There’s no doubt about it – having the car where we have it now, it is late – and you’ll see it in Bahrain.”
Adding to the intrigue, Vowles shared that a planned ‘shakedown’ run at Silverstone was called off. While such a move could easily be interpreted as a sign of unpreparedness, Vowles refuted this, insisting the car could have made the run. Instead, he prioritized virtual testing over the physical trial, with plans to conduct the actual shakedown in Bahrain. “So a bit of it is we’ve pushed ourselves to the absolute limits, a bit of it is I believe far more in doing other testing and then use Bahrain as the opportunity to get started,” Vowles elaborated.
With the official pre-season testing window limited to just three days in Bahrain this week, the pressure is mounting. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, voicing his frustration, criticized the “unfair” winter testing schedule, highlighting the challenges it poses for drivers and teams to adequately prepare for the world championship.
