Williams: P7 in championship 'a fair reflection' of performance

©Williams

40

James Vowles says Williams' joint seventh place in F1's Constructors' standings is "a fair reflection" of the team's current performance level.

Williams is enjoying its best campaign in F1 since 2017, its last competitive season among the elite.

The Grove-based outfit has so far scored 11 points in the championship, equal to Haas, but the team's performance has been trending higher in the past three races thanks to the positive impact of its most recent upgrades.

Vowles insists Williams owes its position in the pecking order to its hard work on the development front rather than to a spell of good fortune.

"P7 isn’t one lucky result, it’s the accumulation of this update working, and strong results in Montreal and here [in Britain]," the Williams boss said in his post-British Grand Prix debrief.

"We've had luck fall our way, but we’ve also had results that really we had on paper with car performance, but hadn’t achieved everything, for example in Australia.

Read also: Williams reveal special fan-voted FW45 Gulf livery

"Where we are is a fair reflection of where this car performance is.

"There’s going to be tracks that doesn’t suit us, where our rivals, Haas, start to score points, but conversely other tracks where we have the opportunities to fight for points.

"And that’s what’s going to be the story to the end of the year."

Vowles said that Williams will continue to deliver updates to its FW45, some of which will be specific to upcoming venues.

"The upgrades are working, they came in two tranches, the larger package in Montreal for Alex, and then the front wing at Silverstone," added the British engineer.

"We’ve got other elements that are more track specific elements, at Spa and Monza, that suit the track layout more, then there’s refinement of the current package and small improvements.

"That’s the plan to the end of the year, and I don’t think that’ll differ from our rivals – so [it will be about] optimising the package you’ve got and keeping an eye on next year."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.