BREAKING: Williams launch the new FW43-B for the 2021 F1 season

Breaking News

5 March 2021 at 14:00
Last update 5 March 2021 at 14:03
6
  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

Williams has unveiled their car for the upcoming Formula 1 season. The team have finished at the very bottom of the constructors' championship over recent seasons, so this is the car with which George Russell and Nicholas Latifi hope to score points with. 

Worst season so far

Williams has had no good seasons in Formula 1 in recent years. The team achieved just seven points in the constructors' championship in 2018. In 2019 this was reduced to one point, which was helped after both Alfa Romeo cars were disqualified in Germany, and in 2020 the team finished at the very bottom of the constructors' championship without points.

It is clear that things are not going well with Williams. 2020 was the worst year in Formula 1 for Williams. On May 29, 2020, it was announced that title sponsor ROKiT immediately terminated the sponsorship contract. The team had been experiencing financial difficulties for some time, but this exacerbated the situation and on August 21, 2020, the team was sold to the American investment company Dorilton Capital.

Losing sponsors

Williams has lost sponsors before, for example, Unilever (Rexona) left the team in 2019 to close a deal with McLaren and when Robert Kubica left the team, he also took his sponsor PKN ORLEN with him. Nicholas Latifi replaced Kubica in 2020. Latifi’s father, Michael Latifi, is a big donor to the team and his companies logos can therefore also be found on the car.

The sale of the team meant that Claire Williams had to give up her role as team manager and the Williams family disappeared from the team that her father Frank Williams himself founded in 1967. Dorilton Capital have indicated they want to race with the name Williams. The name of the car, the FW43B, still refers to the founder of the team.

Collaboration with Mercedes

From 2022, Williams will work more closely with Mercedes. With the arrival of the new owner Dorilton Capital, the independence that Williams held so dear was immediately made short shrift. In previous years they wanted to develop almost everything for the car themselves, such as gearbox and other hydraulic components, only the engine was supplied by Mercedes.

The new owner of the team has decided to stop this and from this season these parts will be bought from Mercedes. This is a lot cheaper and the money that is saved will be invested in the chassis. With this, they hope to have a better season and to be able to participate again with the midfield.