Williams believes aerodynamic changes being introduced for 2021 could help them competitively in the upcoming season.
Amid tyre concerns caused by the ever-increasing cornering speeds of the current cars, tweaks to the floor and diffuser area were agreed with the goal of reducing downforce by around 10-15% this year.
In the case of Williams, however, head of vehicle performance Dave Robson suggests the biggest design changes won’t affect their car as much as it will those at the front.
“It is a major change to the floor, particularly that area close to the rear tyre,” he was quoted by F1i.com.
“It is an area where we suspect we’re not the class leader, let’s say, so hopefully for us it’s less of a hit than some of those other teams.
Also Read:
- Williams owners urged to spend big after ‘unheard of’ gains in 2020
- Russell: Adapting to Mercedes easier than Abu Dhabi Williams return
- Racing Point thinks F1 underestimated impact of 2021 aero tweaks
“I think it is traditionally a very difficult area to understand, particularly how the floor will react to the tyre as it deforms and ages and wears.
“So hopefully it will have quite a big effect for the teams at the sharp end and perhaps less so for us.
“That’s what we’re hoping and hopefully there’s some early indications from the running we did on Friday [in Abu Dhabi] that that might be the case.”
As for Williams’ expectations more broadly, George Russell has a sensible goal.
“I am confident that we can beat Haas next year. I think we will be on an equal footing with Alfa Romeo, but I would like to think we can pass that team as well, given the progress we are making,” he said via Motorsport.com.
“We want to score points next year. We won’t join the fight in the midfield all of a sudden, as the rules will remain the same, but we will certainly have to aim to beat Haas and Alfa Romeo.”
Teammate Nicholas Latifi also has eyes on eighth in the Constructors’ standings, but…
“At the same time I am also realistic,” the Canadian added.
“This year’s car will be taken to next year. Of course there will still be some development – we will certainly not just focus on 2022 – but the car does have its weaknesses and the question is to what extent some parts can be tackled because they have been homologated.
“It could be difficult, but I am optimistic that we can make good progress, having already taken a huge step forward this year.”