Williams 'proactive and aggressive' approach paying dividends – Capito

Williams chief executive Jost Capito says organizational and operational changes coupled with a bit of risk initiative have significantly improved the Grove-based outfit's performance level this season.

Last weekend's Russian Grand Prix yielded another top ten finish for Williams, courtesy of George Russell's run to P10, a result that helped the team consolidate its eighth-place position in the Constructors' standings ahead of Alfa Romeo and Haas.

While Williams owes almost all of its points tally to the circumstances that disrupted the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix, there is no denying the British outfit's progress this year, as indicated by Russell's outstanding results in qualifying.

The future Mercedes charger is often credited as the main generator of Williams' upswing, but since taking the helm of the team at the start of the year, Capito has implemented a series of changes across all departments that have proved quite effective.

But how the team is going about its business on race weekends and approaching its races is also paying some good dividends.

"We have changed our organisation, we have changed communication, we have changed responsibilities," explained the former VW motorsport boss, quoted by Motorsport-Total.

"We work more as a team, we have changed our strategy and approach at the weekend and we have become a bit more proactive and aggressive – not just defensive.

"We have brought more pride into the team and said we can do things differently.

"We can try something that maybe others can’t try because they are in front and that would be risky. We took the risk a few times and it worked.

"It shows how much we have improved as a team in terms of communication.

"The groups are working closer together," added the German.

"Before, there was an engineering group at the track and one at home. And now everything works under one technical direction – and that was missing before.

"I’m surprised how much faster you can make the car without really improving it."

• Read also - Russell: P10 is where Williams 'deserved to finish' Russian GP

While Capito is inclined to minimize the advancement of the team's FW43B, both Russell and teammate Nicholas Latifi would perhaps argue the opposite.

In Russia, where Russell qualified a sensational third, Latifi exited Q1 for the second race in succession.

Unfortunately, a power unit change demoted the Canadian from P14 on the grid to P18 from where he struggled to move up the order on race day.

But Latifi feels that Williams' 2021 contender is improving with each outing, insisting he was "flying" in Russia in the final stages of the race.

"The race came on undone behind Mazepin, just not being able to get by him," Latifi told Motorsport.com.

"It was a shame because on the prime stint the car felt the best it's ever felt in the two years I've been with the team.

"When you compare the pace of the midfield cars, quicker than George [Russell], quicker than the Alpines, quicker than the Astons, people who were on the same strategy.

"It's quite surprising, but it makes it more frustrating that this was a race where we had to start where we did. I was flying at the end, and it's just unfortunate we weren't in the mix."

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