Assessment: Williams loses big in Abu Dhabi

Williams team will have lost everything in the otherwise idyllic setting of Yas Marina. First, the highly coveted 6th place, which will go to the new owner in the name of BMW Sauber. And then, Williams loses its two drivers, Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima, as well as the Toyota engine.

This weekend was therefore the last with a Toyota engine and with the current drivers. Rosberg finished just outside the points in 9th place, while Nakajima ended up 13th, without having scored a single point this year.

Nico Rosberg, for his part, finished the season in 7th place in the driver standings, just 2 points ahead of Jarno Trulli. The Grove team ended up in an unfortunate 7th place in the constructors’ championship, overtaken at the last Grand Prix by BMW by 1.5 points (34.5 against 36).

Nico Rosberg – 9th:

This was not a terribly exciting race for me, as I simply didn’t have the pace to go faster. I would have liked to help the team keep the 6th place in the Constructors’ Championship. From a personal standpoint, my 7th place in the driver standings is a good overall result this year. The season has been long, and I would like to thank the whole team for their efforts over the past 4 years. We’ve had a great time together.

Kazuki Nakajima – 13th:

« It was not easy to have a one-stop strategy today, and I think the stint didn’t go well. In the middle of the race, we were in heavy traffic, but it was a good battle, and I had a lot of fun. »

Rod Nelson – Chief Engineer:

It is naturally disappointing not to be able to retain our 6th place in the championship, but it is good for BMW, who we will miss a lot next year. Both drivers were fast today, but the car had some problems throughout the whole race.