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Ahead of the 2021 FIA Formula
One World Championship, the Williams Mercedes FW43B took to the track this
morning for pre-season testing at Bahrain’s International Circuit. The
team’s Development Driver, Roy Nissany was behind the wheel, with Williams
race drivers set to take responsibility for the remainder of the weekend.
Nicholas Latifi will drive on Saturday, and George Russell will conclude the
test on Sunday 14th March.
Whilst evolutionary on the technical side, the Williams-Mercedes FW43B has a
dramatic new visual identity and livery that captures that indefatigable
racing spirit of the team’s glorious past, its present transformation and
its drive to future ambitions. To accompany the striking livery, Williams
has proudly welcomed several new partners and suppliers to the team; OMP
Racing, B&R Automation, ZEISS, Nexa3D and Bremont Watches. Team partners,
Acronis, The Financial Times, DTEX and the SIA have renewed their agreements
and Sofina, Lavazza, Versa, PONOS, Symantec, IQONIQ, Pirelli, Umbro, PPG,
Thales, Crew Clothing, U-Earth and Precision Hydration continue in the
portfolio. Williams Racing looks forward to strengthening these
relationships as the team enters a new era with support from Dorilton
Capital.
OMP Racing will supply technical performance products to Williams’ drivers
as well as the team’s pit crew. Global leader and pioneer of factory
automation solutions, B&R will embed their class-leading PLC hardware and
I/O modules in the wind tunnel. ZEISS will provide a range of equipment
benefiting departments throughout the business including Wind Tunnel,
Quality & Inspection and Prototype & Test. Partnering with Nexa3D, the team
is improving its capability to make complex lightweight parts, while
minimizing material usage and waste. Finally, Bremont Watches have become
the team’s Official Timing and Watch Partner and both George Russell and
Nicholas Latifi will proudly wear their Bremont watches, along with other
senior members of the team.
Simon Roberts, Team Principal of Williams Racing, said: “It is great to be
back out in Bahrain for our pre-season test ahead of the 2021 FIA Formula
One World Championship. The team at Grove has worked tirelessly over the
winter break to improve our competitiveness and we were all looking forward
to seeing our FW43B leave the garage this morning in its fresh livery.
“Due to the regulations, the FW43B has inherent architectural similarities
to FW43 and continues to build on the aerodynamic development of the 2020
car, adapted to new regulations for 2021. The team has made a conscientious
decision on aerodynamics to reorganise and invest where the efforts will be
most rewarded”
“With a unique set of regulations for 2021, we have optimised what is
permissible, reconfigured the cooling systems for greater performance and
reduced the mass of the car where possible under the constraints of the
homologation regulations. Whilst there is still a lot of work to do, we are
happy to see momentum in the right direction which has been a welcome boost
for all involved.”
Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance, added: “It’s great to be back in
Bahrain to run the 2021 cars and tyres for the first time. Whilst there is a
lot of carryover from 2020, there has been enough freedom in the aerodynamic
regulations for the cars to have evolved significantly. There are also rule
changes to the floor to reduce the load on the tyres, and the tyres
themselves are of a revised construction.
“Testing in Bahrain is a different prospect to Barcelona, and whilst it is
very likely that we will enjoy dry weather, we can expect hot and windy
conditions to dominate. This will help us prepare for the opening race in
Bahrain in a few weeks’ time but can make testing new components a little
trickier. We have just three days of track running to prepare for the start
of the new race season, and whilst this places big demands on the Team, we
are looking forward to embracing the challenge and working methodically
through our programme.
“We will start the test with Roy Nissany driving on Day 1. Roy’s outings
last season and his recent F2 experience here in Bahrain put him in a great
position to get our test off to a strong start. He will then handover to
Nicholas for Day 2, and finally George for Day 3. We have some new
components to try, some routine learning to work through and an exciting and
unprecedented Formula One season to prepare for.” |
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George Russell added: “The
winter has been great, and I was able to enjoy some time off which was
needed after such an intense year. We have since resumed training and been
back in the simulator conducting all of the necessary work ahead of the
season. The change of ownership and management is really exciting for
Williams and there is a lot of positivity at the factory. The decisions that
have been made so far have been encouraging and the mid-to-long term future
is in very good hands and will be on an upwards trajectory.
“I am really looking forward to getting going again and I am intrigued to
see how we perform as a team. Although there is a lot of carryover from last
year’s car, I think the aero change will mix things up quite a bit, fingers
crossed in our favour. I believe we have made some good steps in the right
areas to bring us closer to the midfield, but until we turn a wheel on track
we will not know.
“The year ahead is exciting, we have welcomed several new partners to the
team, and the fresh livery looks fantastic. It is very futuristic, modern
and shows the direction that Williams is going in as a team. Overall, there
is a lot to look forward to this year, and I am feeling well prepared for a
23-race calendar.”
Returning for his second season in Formula One, Nicholas Latifi said: “I am
super excited to jump into the car for pre-season testing. The winter break
was quite long with a lot going on behind-the-scenes with regards to my
personal training with my coaches, but also back at the factory with the
simulator work and meetings. All the guys and girls are working so hard to
make sure that the car has all the right parts and are assembled correctly.
Pre-season testing is the first opportunity to push the car and see what it
is capable of and I am very excited to see where we stack up.
“I am very optimistic that we are going to continue to keep making steps
forward and be consistently more in the fight. This season is unique as the
car is a carry over from last year, so we must be realistic with our
expectations, but I am feeling positive that we will start off with a good
base even with some new regulation changes. Aside from the similarities of
the FW43 and FW43B, the livery and introduction of some new partners is
hugely exciting for this season ahead. Working with new partners is always
great in Formula One, as they are a critical part of the business. The
ability to attract new partners brings great optimism for the team and
motivation for everyone going forward.
“This year marks our first year under the new ownership of Dorilton, it will
be good to have some consistency and stability in the team going forward. It
is a great opportunity for the team, a fresh start with new investment and
support. Everyone is very motivated to push the team forward especially as
we head into a new era of Formula One from next year.”
Pre-season testing concludes on
Sunday 14 March, with the first race of the season taking place in Bahrain
on Sunday 28 March. |
