The second third of the 2023 Formula 1 season has so far been clearly dominated by Williams in the lower midfield: the traditional English team has scored 20 points in the last seven Grands Prix and has thus established itself in seventh place in the World Cup. But does that mean Williams is also one of the points candidates in the city race in Singapore?
Team boss James Vowles doesn’t sound as if he expects his team to be able to build on the two points results in a row from Zandvoort and Monza: In his outlook for Singapore, he speaks of “a few elements that won’t suit our package”.
What does this specifically mean for possible results for Williams drivers Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant?
Vowles: “I don’t think we’ll finish last. I think we can still fight and if we get everything right then we might even get a point. But we have to be realistic about our package.”
Formula 1: What James Vowles is planning for Williams in Singapore
Formula 1 will be faced with a slightly different track layout in Singapore in the 2023 season, but the biggest challenge is the extreme heat there. “Even though the race takes place in the evening, it is still 30 degrees Celsius,” explains Vowles. “It’s pretty hard on the tires and they often overheat.” Therefore, a forecast is difficult.
For team boss Vowles in Singapore, there isn’t anything countable on pole position anyway, as he continues: “More than anything else, we have to learn for 2024. Places like Singapore give us this opportunity. We get to know the limits of our package and our set-up , which has already enabled us to move forward a little further this year.”
He therefore doesn’t expect “that we will be in the same position as in Monza”, but wants to make progress on a different level with a “complete program”, said Vowles. Of course, it is still important to “take every point we can get”.
Pressure mounts on Logan Sargeant
Vowles doesn’t say it, but he probably means primarily Albon, who has scored all 21 Williams points this year so far.
His teammate Sargeant is the only full-time driver in 2023 who does not yet have a top 10 result.
And now team boss Vowles is increasing the pressure on Sargeant: “Logan has to be on these tracks [wie Singapur] also get up to speed, on tracks that he doesn’t know and where he’s never been before – with completely different conditions.” For the Formula 1 newcomer, this is the “perfect learning opportunity.”