Assessment: A Frustrating Race for Williams

It was a frustrating day for the Williams F1 team as both drivers finished outside the points. Nico Rosberg was in a position to contend for the podium until he crossed the white line at the pit exit and consequently received a penalty, requiring him to serve a “drive through.”

Having managed to qualify in 3rd position on the starting grid and gaining a place at the start of the race, Nico Rosberg was well on his way to finishing in second place at this Singapore Grand Prix when a justified penalty relegated him to the back of the pack. By jumping the curb at the pit exit, he failed to control his car and crossed the white line that drivers must respect when rejoining the track. Unfortunately, this earned him a drive-through penalty, which coincided with the safety car period. This bad timing instantly sent him to the back of the standings. Despite the disappointment, Nico Rosberg’s pace both in Q2 and in the race itself was encouraging for the team, making them rather optimistic for the next race in Japan. Kazuki Nakajima had a trouble-free race but fell short at the doorstep of the points.

Kazuki Nakajima – 9th:

It was a difficult race and I think I did the best job I could, but it was disappointing not to be able to contend for points. There seemed to be a possibility in the final stint since the car ahead of me was struggling with its tires, but I had to focus as much on the front as I had to defend my position, so it was hard to find the right balance. The car was good here and hopefully, we must look towards Japan.

Nico Rosberg – 11th:

Today’s result was enormously disappointing. I made an unnecessary mistake by braking too late and crossing the white line at the pit exit. Then, the safety car came out at the worst possible moment. This left me with a really horrible feeling, also for the team, knowing that I wouldn’t be second when I served my “drive-through” and would have to spend the rest of the race at the back. The team gave me such a good car this weekend, having put more effort into development than anyone else, and I am now determined to make the best use of it in Japan.

Sam Michael – Technical Director

« Nico really made a great start and showed a very impressive pace until his first stop. He had a good strategy for the rest of the race which put him in a good position for the podium. But unfortunately, he had a problem coming out of the pits which earned him a penalty. It was really unfortunate because he had done everything right in practice, qualifying, and during the race and then made a small but very costly mistake. We then called him in earlier for his second stop to vary the strategy in case of another safety car. Kazuki had a smooth race. The speed of our car has been good all weekend, our updates worked, and we have a few more developments coming for the next races. »