Friday: Williams arrives in Europe, still with the same habit

Williams arrives in Europe with the firm intention of scoring big points. The FW31 has received several updates directly from Great Britain, and the performance seems to be on point once again.

Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima have indeed demonstrated the capabilities of the Williams by setting the fastest time – as is now customary – in Free Practice 2. The German does not talk about it, but he did experience a reliability issue, keeping the car in the garage for the last 5 minutes.

Nico Rosberg – 6th and 1st:

« Today, we had our first test session with the new aerodynamic components, and they seem to work well. We are gaining a few tenths per lap. However, everyone has had the opportunity to test their own updates here, and only tomorrow’s qualifying will help us understand the real performances. »

Regarding the tires, I am quite undecided between the hard and soft ones, but I think the strategy will still have a significant impact in the race.

Kazuki Nakajima – 5th and 2nd:

« We had a very good day, and it seems that all the updates are working correctly. I found it very difficult to find grip with the hard tires, whereas the soft tires suit me better. We need to focus on the qualifications now and stay careful! »

Sam Michael – Technical Director:

« We had a normal Friday during which we were able to test long runs for the race and shorter stints for qualifying. The best tire is difficult to choose. We still don’t know which one to favor; the hard tires are much better here than elsewhere. Strategy on Sunday will therefore play a very important role even if many will probably have the same one, unlike the first four GPs. »