A cooling issue linked to its Mercedes power unit is apparently the root cause for Williams drastic under-performance so far this season.
The Grove-based outfit's new FW41, which many saw as a bold and impressive design when it was launched, has its drivers lingering at the back of the field, unable to deliver on the British team's expectations.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, the car conceived under the guidance of Williams' technical director Paddy Lowe is suffering from fundamental cooling issues.
"Paddy Lowe wanted to copy the cooling system of his former team Mercedes, but the concept is complicated and apparently Williams made a mistake," correspondent Michael Schmidt explained.
"Now the bodywork has to be opened up completely and that costs a lot of downforce."
Schmidt speculates that Williams may be reaching out to Mercedes in a bid to solve its troubles, basing his assumption on a paddock converstation he witnessed in China between Lawrence Stroll, Lance Stroll's father, and Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.
"If we solve the cooling problem, we'll gain 8 tenths in one fell swoop,” a Williams engineer was quoted as saying by Schmidt.
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