The Williams team hopes to shine at home
After showing great potential in Valencia, the Williams team had ultimately scored just one point in the race. But the entire Grove team hopes to do much better at Silverstone in front of its fans, thanks in particular to aerodynamic upgrades planned for the FW34.
The Williams FW34 proved to be competitive in Valencia during the last Grand Prix, but the team from Grove only managed to secure one point, which was a disappointment as explained by Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: After showing we were strong in Valencia, which unfortunately ended in a big disappointment, we approach our home Grand Prix with high hopes. Silverstone is a superb circuit, with the highest average cornering speed in the championship and it is a good challenge for both the driver and the car.
Pastor Maldonado also likes the Silverstone track because it allows drivers to have fun and because it resembles the one in Barcelona, where he recently claimed his first Formula 1 victory: «I think the circuit should suit our car because it is similar to Barcelona and it’s also very fun to drive in sections like Maggots and Becketts, which really test you as a driver.»
The Venezuelan driver believes that with the new developments planned for the FW34, he can achieve a good result: The car’s pace in Valencia was very promising, and we have several updates expected for this race as well, so hopefully, we can deliver a good result for our fans.
Bruno Senna, who scored the point in Valencia, particularly appreciates the British track and thinks his car will be competitive: «Silverstone is one of my favorite circuits because it is very fast and really smooth. Our car has had a good pace on tracks that require a lot of downforce, and it is good in high-speed corners, so it should perform well at Silverstone.»
Senna shares the same opinion as his teammate on this point: «While we did not get the result we hoped for in Valencia, we have shown that our car is competitive and with more updates planned for this race, I am optimistic about our chances of success.»
Pastor Maldonado would like to take advantage of the current good form of the FW34 to achieve a good result in front of the members and fans of the Williams team: The Grand Prix of Great Britain is always very special for the whole team, and the support we have here is incredible with some of the most knowledgeable fans in the world.
Mark Gillan also believes that the FW34 should be comfortable at Silverstone because the planned innovations aim to improve aerodynamics, which is a crucial element on the English countryside track: « Pirelli is bringing Hard and Soft tires for this race, the same ones we used successfully in Barcelona. We will also bring some aerodynamic innovations for this event, which is imperative given the importance of aerodynamic efficiency on this circuit and given the narrow margins. »
Gillan also believes that the British Grand Prix should once again offer an interesting spectacle for the fans, especially with the weather forecasts expected: «The weather forecasts do not seem very promising, they predict a high risk of rain and strong winds for the entire weekend, which should result in a qualifying and race full of twists and turns.»
