Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "This is a hard race, it is demanding on the drivers as it is tough physically, you don't get a break and it is usually very hot weather. Having said that, it is really enjoyable to drive there and I am looking forward to getting back to what I consider a great track. It is an old school circuit, but it has been resurfaced so it’s not exactly the same as it used to be. It is also quite narrow and, like in Monaco, overtaking is not that easy, but that is all part of the challenge. Not only is the track great, but I also love the city and have had some good times there."

Sergey Sirotkin - "Hungary will be another back-to-back, but by now we have enough experience on how to manage this. It’s a track I really like, I have had quite a few wins in Hungary and have good memories with this place. It will be challenging as I assume the weather will be hot, along with a very demanding track layout, so it will not be easy. However, it will be a good challenge for us to see how all the upgrades are working in the lead up to the summer break."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "This is a cool track that has a great flow and I know it really well. I have very fond memories of driving there and it has always treated me well. I have won three races there in the past and our Formula 3 car always worked pretty well there. I have not seen an F1 race there, but I’m told that the atmosphere in the stadium section is electric. The town itself is not much of a place and usually there is not much happening there, but I am sure that will be very different when the F1 fans get back there after not having had a German race for two years."

Sergey Sirotkin - "I have very good memories from Hockenheim. I like this track, and it should suit our car better than other tracks have done. It will be exciting to see what our recent upgrades can bring us before the summer break. It will be an important weekend for the team and I am looking forward to it."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - “The fans at Silverstone in the UK are amazing. Not only are they enthusiastic, but also really knowledgeable and they just love their motorsport. It is always special having a home race and so obviously this is the case for the Williams team. It is a great track and very enjoyable when driving a Formula One car. It has a lot of high-speed corners, so you really get to feel the car come alive. This will be an amazing event.”

Sergey Sirotkin - “Silverstone is a great track and it’s the team’s home race. I have really good memories there. It’s definitely one of those races that everyone looks forward to, and for me as well. I’ve heard we’re going to have a new track surface, so I’m not sure where we’re going to end up. It’s going to be difficult for us performance-wise, but I strive on a challenge and I hope we perform well as a team at our home race.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW  QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - “This is just a great track. I love it and everything about it – the scenery, the elevation, the whole thing is just fantastic. It is such a beautiful place and such a beautiful circuit, and definitely one of my favourites. When I got there last year it was very familiar as it was the first track we went to where I had already raced in Formula 3, and on top of that had a couple of wins.”

Sergey Sirotkin - “I like a lot of the Austria track. It’s not a long lap and it doesn’t have many corners, but I like the layout. I’m looking forward to it. The circuit suits some bits of our car better so overall, I can expect a good weekend there. It’s going to be important to keep it up before the summer break.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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French GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "I know the Paul Ricard track from when I drove in Formula 3. I had a good time there and won a race, but I have to be honest because I can’t say I like it. It is just run offs everywhere and I am not a big fan. However, it is always interesting to go back to somewhere I have raced before and see what it is like in a Formula 1 car."

Sergey Sirotkin - "Paul Ricard is quite a well-known track for me. I did thousands of kilometres there last year. Although I know the track quite well, there are a lot of things that change over a race weekend that you never know. It’s a new track for everyone so it will be nice to see where we end up."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Azerbaijan GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "I have some great memories of Baku. It was my first podium in Formula One, so I shall never forget that, and the whole experience was amazing. Not only is it a great circuit, but Baku itself is a nice place. I had never been before, so it was all new to me last year but there was definitely a lot to see in the city. The track is pretty spectacular to drive. It is a long lap and is a technical track with a bit of everything. Since it is a street circuit and there are walls all round it, there is no room for errors."

Sergey Sirotkin - "I think Baku is quite a difficult track with a combination of very long, high-speed straights and tricky, hard braking zones. There’s no room for mistake which makes it quite a good race and it gives you good overtaking opportunities. It was a good track for the team last year as they had good success so I’m looking forward to getting there and going racing."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - “Last year the weather wasn’t great and I remember it being quite foggy, wet and cold at the start of the weekend. This aside, it is a good track to drive as it has high speed corners and there is a nice flow to it. Last year in qualifying we were quite competitive, but then it was a shame what happened in the race. Hopefully we will have some better weather this year, a better result and that it will be an enjoyable weekend.”

Sergey Sirotkin - “China is quite a difficult track with difficult weather conditions which can affect tyre wear and car behaviour. It has some very nice long, high-speed corners as well as quite good overtaking opportunities, and it probably has one of the heaviest braking zones of the season. So yeah, it’s a challenging track and it’s really new to me. I know that it’s not going to be easy but hopefully with a good amount of laps and some clean running, we can build our confidence and deliver a better result in Shanghai.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "As usual, this will certainly be a hot weekend. I enjoy the track, and it has a good rhythm to it. The conditions during the weekend are always tricky because practice is during the day and then qualifying and the race are at night. This means there is a lot of adapting going on throughout the weekend. However, I think it is going to be a good one and am looking forward to getting back there."

Sergey Sirotkin - "I can’t wait for the weekend to begin. It was a very tough weekend in Melbourne and I really feel like I need another shot to bring us back to where we think we deserve to be, and to start everything from zero, and to try and get some confidence back in all of us. I know the track quite well and I think it suits some strong points of our car. I’m looking forward to it and let’s see 
what we can do."

    Bahrain is a great track with a unique atmosphere under the lights as darkness falls in the desert. It is a tricky race for car setup, as FP1 and FP3 occur in the afternoon with very high track temperatures and do not represent the cooler conditions seen in the twilight sessions for qualifying and the race. Therefore, FP2 is extremely important for our preparation. It will be interesting to see how the 2018 tyres perform in Bahrain and if they throw up more variety in race strategies. It is the first normal race track of the 2018 season with more predictable weather, so we should get a more representative comparison of the underlying performance of each team. After Sergey’s unfortunate DNF in Australia from a freak plastic bag, we hope to get him to complete his first race distance and that Lance can show well at his second year at this circuit."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "Australia is always a good Grand Prix and I am looking forward to getting back there. It is the start of the season, there is always a great atmosphere, the fans really get into it and you are right there in Melbourne. I shall be excited to turn up. The track itself is bumpy and technical, as well as being narrow, but it is a pleasure to drive and I think we all enjoy going there."

Sergey Sirotkin - "It’s the Australian Grand Prix – it’s my first race in Formula One, my first race with Williams, and my first race in Australia. It’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to getting there, to start work and to get closer to the lights going out. Looking back at my career, I have always been a racing guy and I’ve always liked the competition, pushing the limits of myself as well as the limits of others. To win in this environment is the biggest dream you can imagine, so I’m really looking forward to this challenge, to put more pressure on myself and to deliver. It’s going to be interesting!"

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Williams Shows Off 2018 Car

(Image credit to: Williams Martini Racing)

    Williams has launched it’s “new approach” challenger for the 2018 Formula 1 championship, the FW41.

    The first Williams to be fully designed under new technical chief Paddy Lowe, the car boasts a new aerodynamic philosophy, with a number of significant differences to its predecessor.

    Apart from the compulsory halo head protection device, the Williams features a fin running along its engine cover – not too dissimilar to the now banned shark fins of last season.

    “It’s very exciting to be giving everyone the first look at the FW41,” said Lowe. “The car has many new features, most of which are not all that obvious, but externally the team has pursued a very different aerodynamic concept which has allowed us some significant progress in aerodynamic performance.

    All Formula 1 cars are an evolution of what has gone before to some extent, but the FW41 does involve a number of departures from the directions that have been pursued in the past.

    Overall, the philosophy we are starting to see emerge is a new approach to the collaboration between aerodynamics and design to achieve the optimum working result.”

    Lowe added that developments from the Mercedes power unit also shaped the car’s packaging.

    Mercedes is understood to have pursued a different engine concept to previous seasons.

    Williams will field the youngest driver line-up on the grid this season, with 19-year-old Lance Stroll joined by rookie Sergey Sirotkin in 2018.

    The pair are hoping to improve on Williams’ disappointing 2017 performance, when the team finished fifth in the constructors’ championship and was unable to challenge Force India in fourth.

    “With a season under my belt with the team, I can’t wait to get back on track and see what the new car is like,” said Stroll.

    “Until we are on track we will not know what the competition has been doing, but I am very optimistic about the car the team has built.

    Last year was a steep learning curve for me and now I can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store.”

    Sirotkin added: “I’ve been in the simulator regularly, going through different set-ups with the car, different tracks, seat fittings and also a lot of engineering meetings and factory tours to meet everyone.

    I’ve been having fun with all the guys from different departments. It’s busy times, but I am really enjoying it. I’m getting ready for the season in the best possible way.”

    The FW41 will get its first on track outing at preseason testing, which will begin in Spain on February 26th.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Sirotkin Confirmed At Williams

SIROTKIN PARTNERS STROLL IN 2018

    Former Renault test driver Sergey Sirotkin will join Lance Stroll at Williams for the 2018 Formula 1 season.

    At just 19 and 22, the Williams duo is the youngest line-up on the 2018 grid, and one of the least experienced. They will be aided by Williams’ new reserve driver, Robert Kubica, who was also one of the favourites to replace Felipe Massa.

    “To say I’m happy and proud to join a famous team like Williams is an understatement,” said Sirotkin.

    "It took a huge amount of work to get where I am and I’m really happy and thankful to everyone involved.

    The result of our combined efforts has helped me achieve my dream and rest assured the team can rely on me to deliver my best.”

    Sirotkin makes the step up from GP2, where he finished third in 2015 and 2016. The Russian only completed a handful of races last season, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans with SMP Racing’s LMP2 squad.

    Last year, Sirotkin’s main focus was his test driver role with Renault. He ran in four free practice sessions throughout the year, including in front of his home crowds, as well as the Abu Dhabi test at the end of last season where he impressed Williams.

    “We have conducted a rigorous and exhaustive driver evaluation process,” said chief technical officer Paddy Lowe.

    “Ultimately Sergey impressed the team with his driving pace and talent, technical feedback and work ethic, both at the factory and trackside in Abu Shabi.

    I’m delighted he will be joining the tea to partner Lance next season. Lance will be going into his second season with us, after notable achievements in his rookie year.

    We have an exciting line-up for 2018, which we believe will help us to maximise the potential of the FW41.”

    Sirotkin’s appointment completes the grid for 2018. Sauber’s Pascal Wehrlein, Renault’s Jolyon Palmer, and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat are all without race seats for this year, though Kvyat has joined Ferrari as a reserve driver.

    Also without a race seat is Robert Kubica, who had been hoping to return to F1 after injuring his arm in a rally crash in 2011. He will play an active role within Williams as the test and reserve driver, but is still targeting a full F1 comeback.

    “I feel in the best physical shape that I have ever been, but it has taken a lot of work to get where I am now, so I’d like to thank Williams for the opportunities they have given me so far, and for putting faith in me with this appointment,” he said.

    “I have enjoyed being back in the Formula 1 paddock over these past few months, and I now look forward to working with the Williams technical team, both at the factory and at the track, to really help push forward the development of the FW41 and to make a real difference to their 2018 campaign.

    Having driven both the FW36 and the FW40, I’m looking forward to seeing how the FW41 measures up on track and working with the team to ensure we can maximise the performance of the car.

    My ultimate goal remains to race again in Formula 1 and this is another important step in that direction: I cannot wait to get started.”

    Kubica will run in a number of practice sessions as well as pre-season and in-season testing. He’ll also be on standby to fill in for Sirotkin or Stroll if needed, as was the case when Paul di Resta replaced Felipe Massa last season.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Test Role for Sergey Sirotkin at Renault

Sergey Sirotkin has joined Renault Sport Formula One as a Test Diver, bagging himself running in the first practice of his home grand prix.

The twenty year old has experience in Formula One, as a test driver for the Sauber F1 Team in 2013 and 2014. The running in the Russian Grand Prix this year will be Sirotkin’s second practice session with a Formula One team on the Sochi circuit, after his outing in 2014 with Sauber.

Sirotkin missed out on a seat with Sauber in 2015, and hopes the new deal with Renault will lead to more success.

“This is a great opportunity for me, although it has all come together so quickly. I still can’t quite believe it. This is, however, the moment that all young racing drivers are working towards, and I am determined to learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can, doing the best possible job for the team while driving in Free Practice 1,” said Sirotkin.

The Russian driver is currently racing in GP2, and will start his second season in the junior championship in May.

 “My commitment to challenge for the GP2 Series title will be enhanced by such a great chance and I would like to thank SMP Racing for the great support given to my career, commencing in Sochi, in front of my compatriots.”

Renault Sport Racing Director, Frédéric Vasseur, said: “Sergey is one of the most promising drivers from the junior categories so it is great for us that he is joining Renault Sport. We saw that he was the most promising rookie in the GP2 Series last season, where he achieved a race win and podiums, and for 2016 he is very well placed to fight for the title. He has driven the Sochi Autodrom in a GP2 Series car previously so we have confidence in the job he will be able to do for us this weekend.”

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring

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