Can Williams bounce back?

[freud]

Some observations on Albert park:

1.Williams of JPM was only 0.59 seconds behind TGF’s Ferrari in qualifying

2.The average track temperature of Melbourne was surprisingly low during the weekend which made Ferrari look better. Sepang’s track temperature will be 30-40% higher than that of Melbourne while Bahrain even more. This will favor Michelin runners and Williams in particular.

3.JPM’s poor start basically destroyed his race. Otherwise we would have seen a much closer fight.

The pathetic pit-stop strategy for Montoya alongwith not so slick work by the pit-crew contributed towards JPM finishing 5th. I wouldn’t put JPM down yet. If Williams can bounce back at Malaysia and Bahrain, we have a season on our hands. However if Ferrari does manage to win at both of these circuits then.. 2004 RIP.

[GP Racer]

I think the problem with Williams is there inconsistency.

One race its their pit crews foul-up. The next one JPM boots it. The one after that, they have a bad pit-strategy, or a bad start, and so on, and so on.

I believe that consistency, is exactly the thing that seperates Ferrari from Williams and the rest of the field. They are a complete package, where everthing and everyone works so well together, where rarely a mistake is made, from the drivers and pit crew, to the engineers and team managers. They are easily the most proffessional team out there, and it shows.

Williams and the rest, will have to really up their proffessionalism and consistency, to get to the top.

[touringlegend]

I certainly don't think the Williams car is as bad as last years was at the start of the year and look where they were by the end..

Just hoping the temperature suited the Ferrari's shoes down to the ground and that in the warmer races the Williams will be back up there..however don't forget all the European races where the temp. will be about the same as Oz...

[ralf fan]

PLeasssee Michelin be better than BS!!! Maclaren and Williams will need a tyre advantage because at the moment Ferrari seem to have the best chassis....

[jj2728]

anyone notice the tyre-degredation on both williams left fronts?....i don't think the cooler temperatures helped them yesterday...we'll just have to wait and see what happens at malaysia with much warmer and possibly wetter weather conditions....

[ElScOrChO]

Yep, those left front were really worn out!

[pole2pole]

Can williams bounce back? I think that will be answered at the malaysian gp with much warmer track temperatures {and providing it remains dry we all know what the michelins are like in the wet} we will see where the williams pace is at. If ferrari still have such a big advantage there well i think its a case of who is going to finish in 3rd place in this years WDC championship

[mjolnir]

track temperature on qualifying was hovering round 38-40C, compared to the 24C on race day. weather just played into bridgestone's hands. don't think neone thought it'd drop so much overnight.

[Adam43]

Indeed.
Sat: Track temp: 37C Air temp: 23C at end of Q http://www.formula1.com/archive/gran...up/714/16.html
Sun: Track temp: 25C Air temp: 20C at the end of the race
http://www.formula1.com/archive/gran...pup/714/8.html

I guess the main difference came from the cloud cover?

[neilap]

IMO only God could have given Williams or anyone a chance at beating the Ferrari's in Australia.

[Adam43]

and he drives for Ferrari so why would he do that?

[grumpy1]

Michelin only bought compounds to deal with 40 degree + surface temps(track temps)Bridgestone use lower temp compounds so race fell into there hands.Take the red cars out of it and Bridgestone wern't that flash actually.
The problem with tyres designed for higher temps is that unless they have been heat cycled(atleast 3 laps)they grain.To explain that in laymans terms the outer edges of the shoulder and grooves break up and become ragged.This affects lateral stability in high speed corners thus creating slight understeer.If the tyres had been cycled(brought to temp)graining wouldn't have been as prevelant due to tyres being used and for want of better words track cured.

The Grumpy1

[freud]

Yes, Michelins of both williams suffered heavy graining. I wasnt aware about michelins not bringing in tyres for low temperatures. It was supposed to be a cooler weekend. I am not sure if Michelin have not worked on a tyre for low track temperatures as yet.. i bet they have. Again this seems to be a strategy mistake.

Tyres is one thing but the pitstop stratey was utterly stupid. JPM wasnt allowed to stay out for at least two more blistering laps before each of his pits. Williams have to develop good race/set-up strategies as they cannot afford to lose any points. This will be a tight season.

[GTRMagic]

Originally posted by neilap
IMO only God could have given Williams or anyone a chance at beating the Ferrari's in Australia.

Had Webber been in that car, the result would have been different. !

[climb]

First of all, I don't think that more than half of a second in quals can be defined "only"; it's a huge gap, despite a bit hot temperature.
Second, Button, albeit Michelin shod, did comfortable quals and race, being consistent all over the weekend.
This brings me to assume that reducing the problem of Ferrari's domination to a mater of tyres seems like a desperate attempt to keep hope alive..
As a ferrari fan, I hope more than you that this year won't be a new 2002, but for now perspectives are not good at all; many a thing must change among the competitors, and not only about tyres...

[deeks6]

Can Williams bounce back? Well, Marc Gene is a good driver but when he gets the seat about 2/3 through the season, it won't make much difference...

You'll have to wait until 05 when Webber gets in one!

[freud]

Originally posted by climb
First of all, I don't think that more than half of a second in quals can be defined "only"; it's a huge gap, despite a bit hot temperature.
Second, Button, albeit Michelin shod, did comfortable quals and race, being consistent all over the weekend.
This brings me to assume that reducing the problem of Ferrari's domination to a mater of tyres seems like a desperate attempt to keep hope alive..

Well its a desperate attempt to keep my subscription for 'speed' tv alive

Just kidding... we know that odds favor TGF tremendously. Well at least if Williams can win in two hot races, we go to europe with something to look forward to. This because I know that Michael/Ferrari will probably win all GPs at europe anyway (with the exception of Hungary, Monaco, maybe Austria).

[grumpy1]

Climb you refer to BAR and there performance.Its important to remember BAR are a customer team not a partner team.The difference is they pay for there tyres so what they bought with them will be different to what the partner teams ordered.
GTR from what I was told by MW there have been talks with another team but he would not say which team or for when.As far as hes concerned he will drive at Jag until the end of 05 but he did confirm a performance clause for both sides in the contract.

The Grumpy1

[jetsetter]

If Montoya didn't blow the start & went in to turn one in either third or fourth it may've been different but he just fell too far down & gave the guys up the front to much of a start but i think if Williams don't get a good result in Malaysia then it is going to be a very long year for the team.

[Kirk]

I agree jetsetter, but the truth is JPM has not been as good as he can be and must be more consistent. He rarely drives a flawless race; something absolutely necessary to compete with MS (if in relatively equal machinery). There is virtually no teamwork involved among the two drivers, something that could haunt them as the season progresses. Its only one race I know, so I will reserve judgement for now, but Ralf came precariously close to taking his teammate out again. (deja vu 2002?)

[Gt_R]

Can Williams bounce back?

Why not? Williams had it worse last year..

Despite the lack of points to show, the Williams is actually showing a huge amount of potential. From Imola, we have expected the gap of Williams/Ferrari for Melbourne more or less, and with simply conditions changing we could see a very different grid.

And in Melbourne, the new car's handling and aerodynamics are simply superior to the likes of BAR/Renault, if not at least equal. JPM made his moves mostly at the corner after the fast chicane (sector 2's timing zone), and the ability of Williams closing right up on his target after that chicane showed alot of promise.

Honestly, i cant believe the over-reaction of Williams/Mclaren/Renault supporters, in what is nothing more than one win in the first race. Ferrari had clawed back from 1998, what's stopping Williams?

Where's all the confidence after such a successful winter testing for Williams? Don't forget that last year, Williams is the most aggressive team in terms of developement throughout the season.

[jetsetter]

There was something about the body language coming from the Williams pit throughout the weekend which didn't fill me with much confidence for their chances in the race where Ferrari always looked confident & always appeared to be one step ahead of the rest.

[The Lounge King]

Can Williams bounce back?

Yes.

Anyone remember 2003?

[Mr V]

Originally posted by jetsetter
If Montoya didn't blow the start & went in to turn one in either third or fourth it may've been different but he just fell too far down & gave the guys up the front to much of a start

Had that not happened then Montoya could have finished 3rd, no higher than that.

I'm not saying that Montoya didn't make a mistake at the start, because he did, seeing Alonso overtake him on the grass was proberbly a shocker and 2 slow pit stops out of 3 certainly didn't help.

Roll on the hotter tempretures!

[Led ZeppF1]

Originally posted by The Lounge King
Can Williams bounce back?

Yes.

Anyone remember 2003?

Absolutely.