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Williams’ Season of Chaos: Why the FW46 Was Better Than Its Results Showed

Carl Smith by Carl Smith
December 17, 2024
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Williams Grapples with Crash Fallout: Could Late-Season Chaos Derail 2025 Plans?

Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Williams' Franco Colapinto crashing out of the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki

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Williams’ 2024 Formula 1 campaign with the FW46 may appear to have been a step backward on paper, but the team insists that the car’s performance was a significant improvement over its predecessor. Despite finishing ninth in the Constructor’s Championship with 17 points—a sharp drop from their seventh-place finish in 2023 with 28 points—Williams remains optimistic about the underlying progress of its car.

Key Issues That Hindered Williams’ Season

  1. Car Concept Delays and Weight Problems
    • Williams began the season overweight due to time spent rebalancing the car over the winter.
    • Starting the year with excess weight compromised the FW46’s initial competitiveness, particularly in Bahrain.
  2. Melbourne Crash Setback
    • Alex Albon’s heavy crash during Friday practice in Australia proved a significant blow.
    • With only two working chassis available, Williams was forced to sacrifice Logan Sargeant’s car, delaying further upgrades and repairs.
    • This event exacerbated existing development delays and resource allocation issues.
  3. High Crash Costs and Development Struggles
    • The team accumulated £11.5 million in damages over 17 on-track incidents, limiting their ability to bring critical upgrades.
    • Strict budget caps forced Williams to focus resources on repairs rather than advancing the FW46’s potential.
  4. Poor Reliability and Late-Season Struggles
    • Williams failed to score any points in the final five races of the season and suffered at least one retirement in each.
    • Reliability issues and race-day misfortune meant that improved car performance didn’t always translate into better results.

Williams’ Assessment: A Car with Untapped Potential

Dave Robson, Williams’ Head of Vehicle Performance, expressed frustration at the results but emphasized the FW46’s underlying improvements:

“Fundamentally the car is better, but we haven’t seen that bear out in terms of the final results. Attrition from Melbourne onwards has held us back in terms of development.”

  • Robson highlighted that the team’s shift in car concept, though delayed, brought improvements in performance metrics that were not reflected in the standings.
  • Early-season setbacks caused Williams to focus on weight reduction rather than major performance upgrades, a trade-off that limited their ability to compete consistently.

Looking Ahead

While the FW46’s potential was overshadowed by accidents and budget constraints, Williams can draw positives from this challenging season. Improved car concepts and lessons learned about resource management will be key heading into 2025. For a team like Williams—still rebuilding its legacy—steady progress is crucial, and the FW46 laid a foundation for greater competitiveness in seasons to come.

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If the team can pair its improved vehicle fundamentals with a smoother, incident-free season, the results may finally reflect the potential Williams saw in their 2024 challenger.

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