2022 was a humbling year for Williams, who had been on a great upward trajectory for the previous few seasons. It felt as though they were ready to return to the front of the sport on the eve of the new regulations, which could have given them an opportunity to take a large leap forward.
Instead, they stagnated, which in itself wasn’t a disaster, but when everyone around them moved forwards, it began to look like one. The issues for Aston Martin to begin the year, then Haas and Alfa Romeo to end the year, did somewhat hide their lowly position. They were by no means miles away from the points, instead they were in the early teens with Albon for most of the year.
It was as though other teams had copied the Williams mantra of the previous years, where they did well in a few races, and then not so well in many others, which Williams were never able to do in 2022. Was it a hole left by Russell that caused their lack of improvement? It probably didn’t help, but on its own I would say not. I believe it was a mixture of them focusing on 2021, which worked to be fair to them, their limited resources, and not finding any golden bullet with the new regulations.
Latifi was undoubtedly a thorn in their side, not meaning to be rude, but he had his chance. As for Capito, I was surprised to hear he was leaving, given he had been a part of their regrowth from the dark days. I suppose he was taking the bullet for their 2022 campaign, although as I said before, it wasn’t a total disaster by any means. On the flip side, Vowles will be a fascinating appointment to the team. It’s clearly a strengthening of ties with Mercedes, who supplies their engines. From his experience as Mercedes strategist, he will have a good eye for maximising performance, and the track operations, the question will be more about the human side, can he manage hundreds of people, inspire them, and face the media in a strong manner?
As for the 2023 season itself, we need to be realistic. They don’t have the resource to fly up the grid, and seem to not be able to fully utilise the cost cap. As a result, not finishing last would be a good target, all the teams are strong now, so that would be a great achievement. Should they go back to their old idea of focusing on a few races, to try and score big points? It’s risky, and might not work as well with the new regulations, as the scope for variation is reduced between the cars, compared to before.
The other factor that hurt their 2022 campaign was the Mercedes engine, so if improvements are made there, it would be another boost for the team. As for the drivers, the question will really be how close can Sergeant get to Albon? As a rookie, going up against a relatively experienced driver, Logan can just take time to learn, in a car which likely won’t be overly competitive. If he isn’t miles away from Alex, he won’t have too much media pressure.
As for Albon, his targets depend on how good the car is, if it’s terrible, then we can’t really say anything bad about his performances to a certain extent. Yet, if we see potential from the car, he will really need to be showing it week in and week out, if he wants to become a household name in the sport. Even worse, if Sergeant beats him, then questions really will be asked, especially with drivers waiting in the wings. The stint with Red Bull has truly messed with Alex’s career, he must hope Williams give him a chance to prove his worth.
My gut feeling is it will be another tough year for Williams, they will be with the pack, but consistently towards the rear, and a few odd points scored won’t be enough to get away from 10th in the constructors. Albon will beat Sergeant, but Logan will do well in his own right. The cost cap and new car was aimed at teams like Williams, but it may take until 2024, when the pack closes even further, and developmental gains reduce another step, that they can become a greater force on the grid.
-M
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