“There’s still a lot to come” - Jenson Button feels there’s ‘true belief’ in Williams F1 camp of succeeding soon

Former F1 world champion and current brand ambassador of Williams F1 team, Jenson Button, is hopeful that the backmarker team will move forward in the grid. After the cost cap was introduced, the grid experienced a bit of reshuffling, as top teams were not allowed to spend exorbitant amounts on research and development.

Although bottom teams like Williams have not made a drastic impact and have jumped up the pecking order, Button explains how pushing a team forward takes time. On a blog post from Williams Racing, he was quoted as saying:

"It’s a funny time in F1 at the moment because we have the budget cap, and you immediately think the smaller teams should be there with the top teams, but it takes time."

He said that he's hopeful about the team's progress in the future and how the cost cap will help them in the long run:

"I think over the next couple of years, you’ll see a difference with the running order of the F1 grid. I think you’ll see teams like Williams closer to the front. I’m not going to put a time on it, but we’ll see a lot of progress over the next two years, a lot of positive change in-house, but nothing too much to disrupt the atmosphere too much here."

The team's brand ambassador also dove deep into how the team is focusing on the right departments and improving them. He mentioned the aerodynamics of the car and the wind tunnel research that's crucial for an F1 car. Jenson Button concluded:

"There’s a lot that’s moving forward with the team. The funding is there, but again, they understand the issues, and now they’re putting things right within the team where needed - especially with the aerodynamics of the car and the wind tunnel. I think there have been some good improvements, but there’s still a lot to come over the next few years."

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Williams team boss defends Logan Sargeant, says he deserves to be in F1

Williams new team boss James Vowles recently praised Logan Sargeant and said that he's in the team purely on merit and is not a paid driver.

He also said that the young American is talented enough to deserve a spot on the grid. Vowles said (via motorsport.com):

“I now have the ability to look at his data, and he is here on merit. As a result of Williams investing correctly in him, he's now a professional, deserving driver on the grid.”

Although Logan Sargeant is 19th with no points, he's definitely not having the worst start as an F1 rookie. He has made no glaring mistakes while racing and has finished four of five races in the 2023 season.