Williams F1 Yet To Address One Of Its Pressing Issues Following “Shock” Sale Decision

It has not been a great season for Williams so far. The yesteryear giants are at the bottom of a pile, without having picked up a single point.

Following the sale of the team to Dorilton Capital by Claire Williams, the new owners have expressed an intention to do better in the long-term.

Drivers George Russell and Nicholas Latifi have made efforts to get the best out of the car. And of late, the former has been making his way to Q2 of the qualifying phase as well.

Williams have not thought about hiring a team principal for now

After Claire Williams announced her decision to step down from the position of Deputy Team Principal, Simon Roberts was installed in her place. Operating as Acting Team Principal, Roberts has offered insights to help Williams fight in the upper echelons of the grid during races.

But he believes that the team’s current priority, is finishing the season as well as they can. And possibly when the time is right, make the Team Principal position his own on a permanent basis.

Speaking in an interview, Roberts stated, “It’s something we haven’t really focused on, to be honest. The whole sale process happened much faster than any of us expected. And then Claire made her decision, which was a shock to all of us.”

“The most important thing was to retain continuity. I’m really, really pleased to be asked to step-up, I really enjoy it and hopefully I can continue to do it for longer.”

“But we haven’t even discussed it. It’s not the top of my list, and it’s not the top of theirs. There’s plenty of work to be done and we’re all focussed on that and focused on moving the team forwards.”

Dorilton Capital are with the team for the longer haul

Although the British team are focused on getting better for 2021, this season is potentially yet another write-off for them. And with the car’s basic specifications not really being any different next year, Williams’ only shot seems like the 2022 regulations.

With the technical regulations allowing teams to make certain changes, Williams are fixated on innovation. The budget cap will also help bridge the gap and increase competitiveness.

For the time being though, the owners will want to see progress from Simon Roberts. Ultimately, only time and results will dictate whether he can become the permanent team principal.