Williams's quiet revolution
Despite its lowly position and poor form, Williams is undergoing changes that should help it fight its way back up the grid. JAMES ROBERTS reports from behind the scenes
Twelve minutes into Friday practice in Baku, disaster strikes. A loose drain cover destroys the floor of George Russell's Williams. The misery is compounded when the crane on the flatbed truck returning the car to the pits hits a bridge, causing hydraulic fluid to leak all over the car. "It never rains, but it pours at Williams this year," sighs deputy team principal Claire Williams.
The team missed the first days of testing back in February because the 2019 car wasn't ready in time. It was blamed on a "manufacturing backlog," and shortly afterwards chief technical officer Paddy Lowe took a leave of absence. His departure from the team was finally confirmed just after the French Grand Prix.
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