(Motorsports news) The Grove-based squad, Williams, entered the F1 finale in Abu Dhabi with the intention of stopping nearest competitor AlphaTauri’s late-season charge in the battle for seventh place between the two teams. In a course not especially suited to its vehicle, Yuki Tsunoda finished in eighth place, but it was not enough to allow its Italian adversary to pass it, even if Williams failed to gain any points.
After the race, Vowles noted that, although the increase in prize money was certainly appreciated, the Williams’ achievement of its late-season goal was of greater importance. “Probably the most important thing is that it sets the foundations for the team, that they have something to build on now,” he stated.
“We are not overly concerned about the money aspect; you lose out on wind tunnel time. However, I wanted them to acknowledge that this was the beginning of our trip and get up. By the way, from here on out, we’re not going back. This is a spring for us and a new de facto standard.”
Although Williams won’t be able to adjust his strategy because it will need several times as much money to compete at the front, the predicted $9 million prize bonus for placing seventh, according to Vowles, has greater relevance for the team owner. “Probably the most important thing is that it sets the foundations for the team, that they have something to build on now,” he stated.
“We are not overly concerned about the money aspect; you lose out on wind tunnel time. However, I wanted them to acknowledge that this is the beginning of our trip and get up. By the way, from here on out, we’re not going back. This is a spring for us and a new de facto standard.”
Although Williams won’t be able to adjust his strategy because it will need several times as much money to compete at the front, the predicted $9 million prize bonus for placing seventh, according to Vowles, has greater relevance for the team owner, Dorilton Capital. “It always helps to have money in the bank account,” he stated. “However, I’ve made it very clear and public that we’re squandering tens of millions in losses.
However, despite the short-term costs to us, we are here to invest and return to the forefront. “What it does is, when we’re sort of talking about these numbers, it helps the conversation when I’m going behind the scenes and asking for an additional $100 million. It has a significant impact on that. I’m very sure my facial expressions won’t be the finest at some times, but even before the race began, I was proud of what we had accomplished thus far, regardless of the outcome.
“Recall that we stopped development before any other team on the grid, and I kindly requested that the team finish seventh. And the fact that we did so by a mere margin of points indicates to me two things: one, that we made the proper choices; and second, that our team collaborated incredibly well to get to this position. “The fact that AlphaTauri was winning the race using the method they selected and acting quickly cannot be disregarded. Therefore, I’m proud of myself for finishing ahead of them.”
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