What's with williams?

[nickel]

So is it just me or are Williams seriously under-performing? Consistently at the head in practice, seemingly with a decent package, and yet just as consistently nowhere to be found during the race. Is it a driver problem? Car? Has Williams simply forgotten how to win?

What are the opinions out there?

[TwistedArmco]

I think Williams have the largest ratio of potential to failure on the grid. They have the pace, but are just consistently unlucky with strategy/poor in certain conditions. I think Rosberg was stunning at the start of Australia and Malaysia, especially Malaysia, leading that first stint. However, his tyres didn't cope with graining in Oz and he was slow in the wet at Malaysia and then made too many pitstops to compensate.

I personally rate Rosberg rather highly, and don't think it's either his or the team's fault. It's more circumstantial. I like Nakajima, but believe that he finds it hard to string a race together, so his contribution to the team is as yet limited. I wish they'd validate their potential, but the luck isn't there for them at the moment. However, I don't think there's much wrong with the overall package, and with some luck, they should bag a few podiums this season.

[AzShadow]

It isn't very hard to top the practice sessions, especially on Friday. Just take the fuel out of the tank and you'll have your one day spotlight. Anyway, Williams has pretty much fallen behind in recent years and not really been able to challenge for championships. I think it's mostly because of financial reasons as they don't have the hundreds of millions that Ferrari & McLaren have. Williams was dominant when so much resources wasn't needed but nowadays it's all about fine details.

Rosberg is a good driver, but his career is pretty much on standstill as long as he's driving mediocre cars. Unless Williams can up their pace, Rosberg should really look at other teams.

[nickel]

I know friday pace is what it is, but still... also poor strategy seems to have hampered them on more than one occasion. They seem to have made a habbit of gambling on tire choice and odd strategies. Rosberg always seems to be the one out on the track on some odd hope and a prayer (inters in China, untold numbers of pit stops in Malasia). He's put in some good efforts, and I believe on at least one occasion he ended the race with the fastest lap of the day. It seems to me to be either that the car is incredibly unhappy when weighed down, or some weird inconsistency. I'm not sure Nakajima is the only one having trouble stringing together a whole race?

[TwistedArmco]

I know friday pace is what it is, but still... also poor strategy seems to have hampered them on more than one occasion. They seem to have made a habbit of gambling on tire choice and odd strategies. Rosberg always seems to be the one out on the track on some odd hope and a prayer (inters in China, untold numbers of pit stops in Malasia). He's put in some good efforts, and I believe on at least one occasion he ended the race with the fastest lap of the day. It seems to me to be either that the car is incredibly unhappy when weighed down, or some weird inconsistency.

Once again, fastest lap doesn't prove too much except that, as you say, the car is somewhere up there. However, I'm starting to agree with your previous statement that Williams, thinking about it, have simply forgotten how to win races. I guess that deciding strategy mostly for midfield cars all the way through the 2000s has detrimented their strategic abilities. The examples you cited are good ones, and made me think about this a little more.

I'm not sure Nakajima is the only one having trouble stringing together a whole race?

In all fairness, you're right, although Naka certainly has more trouble stringing together a race. Rosberg is in many ways like his dad - quite a lairy driver who doesn't necessarily think about the whole race and the preservation of the car.

[er15]

Glory runs? But yeh the Car is fast but end of the day it comes down to the Driver, Is Rosberg a Alonso, Hamilton, A Massa or even a Raikkonen?

Nakajima is just another kamikaze

[nickel]

It's too bad relly. Now I guess even having a quick single lap in the race isn't even happening for them. I think their quickest respective laps were towards the bottom in Bahrain... There is no way they can develop at the pace of Mclaren et al. Oh well maybe in 2010 they can cap their budget and bring back some stuff they thought up way back when... CVT anyone?

[KASH]

Glory runs? But yeh the Car is fast but end of the day it comes down to the Driver, Is Rosberg a Alonso, Hamilton, A Massa or even a Raikkonen?

Nakajima is just another kamikaze

"another Hamilton or Massa"....

I think rosberg as much more potential than both. he was just unlucky for know. let's see what will happen in the next races. i don't think that rosbergs unlucky streak will continue the entire season. i can smell a podium or even a victory.

[metalhead188]

it seems to me the issues are tire management of the car... the car is fast and they have shown it numerous times but not on a lap by lap basis which shows there is an issue with the set-up of their cars

[nickel]

it seems to me the issues are tire management of the car... the car is fast and they have shown it numerous times but not on a lap by lap basis which shows there is an issue with the set-up of their cars

I think you may have hit the nail on the head... If it takes them too long for their tires to warm, then they're t risk of severely wearing their tires before getting very far. I'm not sure it's the only problem though...

[BMWSauber5]

it's strategy, luck and because of the updates on the cars........