James Vowles has explained why Williams are skipping the private shakedown in Barcelona. While rivals are piling up miles on the Spanish asphalt this week, the Grove outfit are watching from the factory. In the paddock there was whispering that Williams had failed the FIA crash tests and therefore had to modify the chassis. According to the team principal, the squad could have gone to Barcelona, but it would have come at the expense of a comprehensive preparation for the new season.
“It was clearly not our plan and it’s incredibly painful, but I want to stress that this is the consequence of our determination to probe the limits of the new regulations,” James Vowles told the media. “My experience is that you can only do that by being aggressive, and in doing so you also uncover your own limitations.” He added that Williams are in the middle of an accelerated transformation; the team was already working on an impressive climb up the championship last year.
‘We could have made Barcelona’
According to Vowles, the test days in Barcelona were not an absolute must. “We could have made it,” he insisted. “But had we done so, I would have had to completely reshuffle spare-part allocations and the upgrade schedule for Bahrain, Melbourne and the rest of the season.” The conditions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya also played a part. “The judgement was that running in a cold and damp Barcelona — combined with the spare-parts situation — delivered no advantage.”
The team principal underlined that Williams is now ready for the next phase. “I’m pleased to say we’ve passed all the necessary tests and are ready to race in Bahrain.” Vowles also dismissed persistent rumours about an overweight FW48. “We’ll only know the exact weight when we’re in Bahrain,” he explained. “I think the target weight is very ambitious, but everything currently appearing in the media is just rumours.” He therefore showed little concern about any potential deficit. “I’m convinced we won’t be off the pace,” he concluded. “We still have six solid test days in Bahrain. We also benefit from Mercedes supplying our engines and gearboxes. The lessons learned in Barcelona we can apply in Bahrain.”
