Williams faces a major dilemma now that the races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will not take place. The two Grands Prix are canceled due to the Iran war and therefore the team has to make a major decision about tackling the weight problem.
Earlier this week it was announced that the FW48 had to go on a strict weight-loss diet. The car of Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon is 28 kilos too heavy and is therefore far behind the competition. An immediate solution is not possible, team boss James Vowles said.
This is due to the budget ceiling. The car could be made lighter immediately, but that would cost the team a lot of money and that is why it was decided to first drive on the parts that need to be replaced and then replace them.
Vowles said that this process takes about six to seven races and therefore the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian and Bahraini Grand Prix is not convenient. This extends the lifespan of the parts of the FW48 until June. In the worst case, the new parts can only be mounted on the car during the Austrian Grand Prix – on June 28.
Williams is therefore faced with a dilemma, because because the Formula 1 season now only consists of 22 races, the team has to drive proportionately longer with the components that are too heavy, which can have major consequences for the final ranking. Williams may therefore decide to use the ‘break’ in April to make changes that make the car more competitive, even though this may pose a risk with the budget ceiling.
After the Australian Grand Prix, team boss Vowles explained what exactly is wrong with the FW48.
Actually, most of the problems were related to the weight of the FW48. Reducing the weight of the car is not complicated. I have received many emails not only about how to reduce the weight, but even how to get well under the minimum weight. This option is available. If there wasn’t a budget cap, I’d start tomorrow. It could be done in a few weeks, but that is not the case.”
“So you have to take into account when these parts reach the end of their life and when we introduce upgrades later in the season. It is complex, but it is a good solution. The budget ceiling is still very positive overall.”
“It seems difficult to name an exact number of races in which we can intervene, but let’s say about six races. More or less in that order of magnitude. So quite a while”concludes Vowles.
