Williams is in a “difficult phase” without an “easy solution” and should be braced for a difficult 2018 Formula 1 season, according to Motorsport.tv’s pundits.
The British team failed to score a point in the Australian Grand Prix, with Sergey Sirotkin retiring early on and Lance Stroll getting beaten by Charles Leclerc’s Sauber.
Stroll blamed a lack of power for getting jumped by Leclerc at a restart mid-race, which Motorsport Show technical analyst Craig Scarborough says highlights the extent of Williams’s problems.
“If you’ve got a Mercedes customer saying, ‘We haven’t got the power’, there’s something clearly very wrong there,” said Scarborough.
“I don’t think it’s because of any wrongdoing at Mercedes.
“It’s something at Williams – whether it’s Lance Stroll’s perception or something Williams aren’t doing.”
F1 Racing’s Anthony Rowlinson joined Scarborough in assessing the problems engulfing Williams and expressed sadness and concern for its current predicament.
“They don’t feel like a fully joined-up team, and I say that with a heavy heart because they’re my favourite team,” he said.
“Williams are in that difficult phase again. Just a couple of seasons ago they were finishing P3 on merit in the constructors’ championship and now they’re going to struggle to finish sixth or seventh.
“It’s not nice to see Williams in that position. You can’t really see how they’re going to find their way out of that.
“Yes, great engines. Yes, great resources. [But] two drivers who probably aren’t from the very top drawer.
“How are they going to fix that? There’s not an easy solution.”