Claire Williams: Team spurred on by 'huge spirit to get this fixed'

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams refutes the doom and gloom thrown at the team following the miserable performance of its FW41 this season.

The British team has performed nowhere near its expectations or status since the 2018 campaign kicked off in Melbourne.

With the exception of Lance Stroll's fortunate run into the points in Baku, a track where the FW41's weakness was mitigated, Williams' drivers have been consistently lingering at the tail end of the field with no progress in sight.

Lowe: 'No guarantees' as Williams begins recovery programme

While recognizing the team's depressed performance, Claire Williams insists the Grove-based outfit is working diligently to extract itself from the doldrums.

"When you are winning it’s fantastic and when you are not then you have to re-organise and regroup, and it’s always about how you cope with those challenges," Williams told Autosport.

"At the moment there is a huge spirit within Williams to get this fixed.

"People can tune in and they can see our performance on the TV and then think: ‘What on earth is going on at Williams?’

"But anyone who thinks that Williams is on its way out or in a spiral of decline or any other analogy you want to use, would be very wrong."

©WRI2

As it works towards a recovery, former chief designer Ed Wood has parted with the team while chief technical officer Paddy Lowe has admitted to mistakes in the development of the FW41.

Williams suggests patience is in order.

"Tenth is nowhere near where we want to be, but sometimes you need to almost have that kind of dose of reality to set yourself a different course and move forward.

"And we will. Everyone needs a bit of patience to allow us to do that."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.