Williams were the only team absent from the closed shakedown in Barcelona. To save precious development mileage and to be able to invest in later upgrades, the team was forced to sit out the opening tests. Team principal James Vowles nonetheless kept a close eye on the first metres put in by the competition; during Williams’ season launch on Tuesday he shared his findings.
Williams was the sole entrant who did not appear at the opening private tests at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. While several rivals were already banking hundreds of laps, the British squad stayed at its base in Grove. Since then the team has unveiled the brand-new FW48 and drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have run their own shakedown at Silverstone.
Despite their absence in Barcelona, James Vowles has watched the results closely. After the FW48 presentation he addressed the press on the performances of the various engine manufacturers. “I’m very impressed with Red Bull, particularly with their power unit,” Vowles said. “To develop a completely new power unit from scratch and have it prove so reliable is impressive. Well done,” he added, complimenting the rivals.
‘Mercedes is always strong’
“Ferrari’s consistency also caught the eye,” he said, turning his focus to the Italian outfit. “Pure one-lap speed might still be a sore point, but their consistency has been very impressive right from the start.” Finally he scrutinised Mercedes, Williams’ engine supplier. The drivetrain of the Silberpfeile covered by far the most miles in Barcelona. “Mercedes are always strong,” Vowles responded. “They’re particularly skilled at exploiting regulation changes and delivering a robust, reliable package. If you can run a race simulation just one day after testing begins, that’s highly impressive.”
Despite missing the first test session, Vowles expressed confidence in the approaching season. He doesn’t believe Williams will be disadvantaged by that setback. “I’d much rather have been in Barcelona,” he admitted. “That was the goal, that was what we wanted to achieve, but it didn’t work out. Our virtual tests were successful, and the simulator work from Sainz and Albon also went well. On top of that, we’re fortunate that Mercedes had a strong presence in Barcelona.” Mercedes, McLaren and Alpine tested the new power unit extensively. “So we have a fair amount of information,” Vowles concluded. “With another six test days in Bahrain, I don’t consider us to be behind.”
