Can aggressive new Williams halt downward spiral?
Williams has gone aggressive with its 2018 design and it has heavily bolstered its technical team. But it has an unproven and inexperienced driver line-up and some key rivals are expected to vault forward. Does its optimism have any foundation?
Since catapulting up to third in the constructors' championship in 2014 with the help of a switch to Mercedes propulsion, it has been a case of diminishing returns for Williams. Third with 80% of the points of the previous season in 2015, fifth in '16, fifth in '17 with fewer points...the pattern is clear.
Formula 1 car launches are always steeped in optimism. But to predict even a levelling off of the Williams decline, let alone a revival based on something more tangible, there must be cogent reason to expect the trend to reverse. With a budgetary chasm to F1's big beasts, and reason to expect McLaren and Renault to take strides forward this year, Williams faces a tough task this year even to stand still. But there are at least reasons its trajectory could change.
Share Or Save This Story
Archive: When the French GP almost produced F1's greatest shock
Autosport 70: How Scheckter instigated Silverstone's most famous F1 incident
Autosport 70: The lost F1 team that launched Newey
Why Haas's shocking 2019 should have F1 worried
How Kubica found the answer to his own incredible F1 challenge
The real step that ended McLaren's F1 nightmare
2019's Albon, Norris and Russell are 2001's Montoya, Raikkonen and Alonso
How Toro Rosso gave Renault a major scare
Latvala: Neuville, Evans tied for WRC Croatia lead "something special"
WEC Imola: Ferrari remains on top in FP2 as Fuoco beats Porsche
WRC Croatia: Neuville, Evans tied for the lead after eight stages
WIN! A VIP Race Weekend Experience in Monaco
The short-term pain that hides a very real Williams improvement
How a Shanghai to Sheffield journey paved the way for China’s F1 hero
Why F1 2026 worst case fears could be key to new rules success
How the F1 driver market situation sits for each team with 2025 openings
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
