Second place in championship is achievable


By Andrew Hooper
August 7 2014

With the Williams Martini enjoying their mid season break looking back at the opening races of the season gives one a feeling of optimism that the team can continue their string of good results including returns to the podium. Such is the feeling that Rob Smedley feels that second place in championship is achievable.

 
 Second place in championship is achievable
 
Massa & Bottas
 

With the Williams Martini enjoying their mid season break looking back at the opening races of the season gives one a feeling of optimism that the team can continue their string of good results including returns to the podium. The results of team driver Valtteri Bottas have been outstanding with several podium finishes. For team-mate Felipe Massa his season so far has been one of frustration having seen several retirements in races that should have seen him score points for the team. In his final race in Hungary he was able to turn things around coming home with a points scoring finish.

The Williams team has turned things around to such a degree that they have scored almost as many points in the first 11 races as they achieved in the previous four years. In 2013 the team only score five points yet so far in 2014 they have scored 135.

Currently the team is fourth in the Constructors championship having at one stage being third but for Head of Vehicle Performance Rob Smedley the races to come will present the team with an opportunity to improve their performances with the aim of securing a second place finish by the end of the year. This is despite the fact that the team is a considerable margin behind Red Bull. Currently returning to third is is well within the teams grasp being just seven points behind Ferrari.

The team has made considerable improvements in the development of the FW36 as well as benefiting from the use of the Mercedes engine which is dominating the season so far.

Smedley said: “At the minute, we are firing on with the development of this car because we still want to be second in the championship and I think that is achievable.

“It is a little race-by-race basis but we have a loose plan that will be a little bit swayed by how well we are doing in the championship.”

With the return after the break Smedley sees the next two races at Spa and Monza are as races that should suit their car and as such the team must make sure to not lose the opportunity to again return to the podium.

Smedley added: “If you look at our results over the last five races, I think we had a race that was a bit anomalous in terms of performance and we have two races where we have to capitalise on the characteristics of the car at Spa and Monza. We think those circuits will suit us and we have to capitalise on that and put ourselves in a good position.”

Another member of the team who believes that the team can push those teams in front of them in the championship race is Felipe Massa. Felipe believes that Williams can push teams such as Mercedes. He has no doubt that he and the team can again achieve further good results over the final eight races.

"I'm sure we can have a very good second half of the season looking at the behaviour of the car until now," said Massa. "Spa and Monza should suit us, maybe Austin and Brazil, and in the last race in Abu Dhabi there are some good straights.

"The car can be competitive at many tracks, not just Spa and Monza, but maybe at those two we can be stronger than the others.

"It won't be easy, but it's not impossible that at these tracks we will have more of a chance against Mercedes."

As for the turn-around and the results of the team so far in 2014 Felipe spoke of how the team had far more realistic expectations for 2014 than what the team has actually being able to deliver.

Massa added: "Everybody has been surprised at the competitiveness of the car. I obviously expected to have a much better car than the team had in the past, this was clear, but it was too much to think about doing so well in the championship.

"What we have done from the winter through to now has been a very good job from everybody on the technical side.

"There is still a lot we can do, but everything is progressing in a good way in terms of development, and I hope we can do even more from now until the end of the season."

As for the possibility that Williams could finish the season in second Felipe said: "Anything is possible, when you look at the maths and there is this possibility, why not? We need to fight for that.

"We need to try to do everything. If we do a perfect job from now until the last race then it can be possible."

Whatever the outcome the 2014 season can only be viewed on way and that the Williams team has made massive steps forward as they aim to return to the top of Formula One. With the team they have working behind the scenes and directly with the race team as well as a pair of world class drivers the team can only look at 2014 as been a massive success.

 

Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: Williams F1 (IP Logged)
Date: 07/08/2014 13:31

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Re: Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: Ozzy Osbone (IP Logged)
Date: 08/08/2014 00:26

Yes it's possible but not with Massa in the second car I fear. I applaud him for the correct pronunciation of 'maths' but we need someone better in the second car.

Re: Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: j-s (IP Logged)
Date: 08/08/2014 07:46

Let's see. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt ATM. If he fails to capitalize on the next two races then obviously 2nd will be impossible. He might find his happy place during the break.

He's not going to mop the floor with anybody and give Williams 2nd on WCC by dominating. But he might contribute, and that's what everybody expectos from him.

It's not as if he's been way off in races... He's run in front or right behind Bottas for plenty of laps; the gap is not Alonso-esque. Valteri is having a good year, yes, but when Felipe stays out of trouble and avoids the brain farts he's done well enough to score decent points. He just needs to get to the finish line, that's all... and hopefully get a lucky break at some point, to even out the bad luck he's had this year.

Time will tell. Odds are 60/40 against.

Re: Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: crusty_bread (IP Logged)
Date: 08/08/2014 09:47

to use an Anderis-style argument, Massa is the only Williams driver with a pole to his name- 1-0. So you could say he definitely has it in him. He has been on occasion, plain faster. It's not his speed that concerns me, it's his race craft and confidence / adaptability. In a clean dry race where no-one comes close, I would give Massa a sporting chance vs Bottas. But races are never perfect sim-runs.

Re: Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: A.Fant (IP Logged)
Date: 08/08/2014 11:15

Quote:
crusty_bread
to use an Anderis-style argument, Massa is the only Williams driver with a pole to his name- 1-0. So you could say he definitely has it in him. He has been on occasion, plain faster. It's not his speed that concerns me, it's his race craft and confidence / adaptability. In a clean dry race where no-one comes close, I would give Massa a sporting chance vs Bottas. But races are never perfect sim-runs.

Eeeeeeh... Massa only got that pole because Bottas made a huge error on his 2nd attempt. the only dry qualifying session where Massa has looked plain faster was in Monaco and that was only Q1. It's a legitimate pole, but I wouldn't use it as an argument for an underlying speed advantage.

Bottas has been further ahead of Massa in dry qualifying so far with regard to speed than Alonso was.

Re: Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: crusty_bread (IP Logged)
Date: 08/08/2014 12:19

yes, stats don't tell the story sometimes. perhaps the better example of pace was Bahrain China in the race? or those times when he looked faster all weekend until Q2/Q3, like bahrain or spain?

it's odd though, much like Hamilton in qualifying, as the bad luck adds up, and the points margin increases, so does the pressure, and so their game suffers. Around China time, I would have put them as equal bets for the best result.

Re: Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: Hall_Green_Wolf (IP Logged)
Date: 09/08/2014 21:22

Massa's f1 career was on life support after brazil 2008, nando turned the machine off in germany.

Flatline.

Re: Second place in championship is achievable
Posted by: crusty_bread (IP Logged)
Date: 09/08/2014 22:35

Bit harsh! being pipped to the title performing as well as anyone, before trouncing Kimi for most of 2009, only to get a bolt through
the face and waking up to find that Alonso has been shoehorned into the seat next to him and forced to lose all leverage and bargaining power due to the "good faith" Ferrari showed in HIM after having the temerity of getting injured and being picked over Kimi. Stern! After 2008 and 2009, but for the injury it could have been the other way around.- Massa deigning to stay at Ferrari on his terms.

He's still got a top F1 drive 4 years on from Germany- if that's a 4 year flatline, got knows what the rest of us are doing. Di Resta must be cremated together with his life support machine.

I think a better metaphor is perhaps:

Getting pressed into a relationship with a forceful and manipulative other, getting no support from friends, the early balance rapidly getting out of hand, getting publicly humiliated, getting dominated and trampled, forced to walk in their shadow and forced to make excuses for their bad treatment, everyone turning a blind eye or sniggering in embarrassment at his misfortune before getting dumped, and still getting picked up by someone cool, only to sabotage the new relationship due to the neurosis caused by the previous one. For such individuals I would hope there is some salvation. The Massa of 2008 / 2009 would have been a fine asset for anyone, and the Massa of today has the speed- even if he does have bags of emotional baggage.

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