Williams not waiting for 2021 changes

Williams is not waiting for planned Formula 1 regulation changes in 2021 to try and make clear progress toward the front of the grid, insists deputy team principal Claire Williams.

Liberty Media has spoken of a desire to introduce major technical regulation changes in conjunction with the FIA at the same time as applying a more equitable distribution of revenues as part of new commercial agreements with the teams. Although that could see a significant shake-up of the sport’s structure and competitive order, Williams -- who saw her team finish bottom of the constructors’ championship last year -- says the finances and facilities are already in place to fight for best of the rest behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

“We’re still a team competing with a very healthy budget, we’re still a team competing with phenomenal resources at Williams and we have a great team of people here,” Williams told RACER. “I don’t see why we aren’t able to fight back in that midfield and to fight for P4.

“The collaborations that are ongoing aren’t helping, clearly, but there’s no reason to say that those collaborations are necessarily costing our position, it’s purely because we haven’t done a good enough job. We need to do a better job, and if we do that then there’s no reason why we can’t get back to where we need to get to even prior to those changes happening.

“Of course, come 2021 when we see the cost cap coming in, when we see signification changes across the technical and sporting regulations, we will see a fairer distribution of revenue and we’ll see new regulations that disallow the collaborations that are taking place at the moment. Clearly that is going to pave a better way for an independent in the truest sense of the word, a team like ours.

“But I don’t believe that we have to wait and that’s certainly not the mindset that we have here, that we’re just treading water until 2021. That’s a really important message that certainly we’ve relayed internally but to the outside world -- that we’re here competing, we’re not just making up the numbers until the landscape changes to better suit us.”

Williams will announce a new title partner on Monday, February 11 as well as unveiling its 2019 livery.