Mercedes and Williams are likely on the same boat when it comes to having wind sensitivity issues with the car. Both team’s 2021 Formula 1 cars face the same issue that had a noticeable impact on their performance in Bahrain. The upcoming Imola Circuit will look to punish any car that’s not up to the mark.
Williams experimented with a bold idea to create more downforce and reduce drag on its FW43B car for 2021. They opted for an aggressive design, however, luck wasn’t on their side and brought about dips in performance in windy conditions.
The car was struggling because of the windy tracks, both at pre-season testing and the season opener. The woes didn’t end for Williams as they managed to finish the season opener at 14th place. Russell felt that this was the best they could have done at such a disadvantageous track.
Mercedes has also been struggling with an unstable rear end on its W12 car which won narrowly against Red Bull. If Bahrain was tough, then Imola would be extreme as the wind blows at 40-50 kph.
George Russell of Great Britain and Williams poses for a photo during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of France. (Credits – Getty Images)
Future of Williams
Williams is planning to add some upgrades to its FW43B car in hopes of making the wind sensitivity issue a little less stressful. They also believe that these small changes will help them immensely while designing future cars.
George still has to score points for his team but was hopeful of the team’s performance at the next circuit. He said, “It’s very different to Bahrain, so you’ve got two ends of the spectrum. Bahrain, you’ve got a lot of slow-speed corners, very exposed, generally very windy. Imola is high-speed corners, the angle of those corners are less. There are more 90 degree corners as opposed to 180-degree corners.”
Russell concluded by saying that Imola is probably one of the circuits out of all the others, where Williams can give a run for the points.
