"We want to move up the grid" - Williams CEO on changes following management transition

Williams F1 CEO Jost Capito has opened up about his team’s expectations for the 2022 season. After completing a successful transition from a “family business” into a well-structured company, the German feels the team cannot make any excuses for not progressing up through the grid.

Speaking to the media during the first day of pre-season testing in Barcelona, Capito said:

“It is not a feeling of ‘we are in Formula 1 and that is where we want to be’, it is Formula 1, and we want to move. We don’t accept to be last anymore. We want to move up the grid and we work hard to do that, and we need the spirit and we need to enjoy that journey. I think that was the main thing and then fighting for points and getting into the position where we got some points. Then the icing on the cake, the podium in Spa, I think boosted not just the team on the racetrack but boosted the whole company.”

Capito said a lot of the changes that were initiated under the new ownership were not concerning personnel, but structural changes that were critical to the operation of the team. The team reportedly developed new processes and operations structures from scratch to improve efficiency.

Furthermore, the team was reportedly able to perform better after an improved communication setup between different departments within the team was put in place last year.

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Williams' "fresh approach" to 2022 season as they seek return to competitiveness

Williams F1 technical chief Dave Robson has opened up about the team’s “fresh approach” to the 2022 season, as they seek to return to midfield following a regulation reset. Speaking to the media after day 1 of the Barcelona pre-season testing, Robson said:

“The FW44 is very different to previous cars, both in appearance and under the skin, and this will require a fresh approach. Our objectives in Barcelona are to understand the new car and to learn how to optimise it for the range of tracks that we will visit this season. We will be looking to understand the potential of the car and how it responds to changes that we make, gathering data and knowledge that we can call upon during the season.”

Williams scored points for the first-time last season after nearly two-and-a-half years of lack of competitiveness. Heading into 2022, the team hopes to sustain their impressive momentum and exploit the new regulations to finally break out into midfield, potentially challenging for top-6 finishes on a regular basis.