Williams saw a resurgence in 2021 with George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.
F1 points finally came after a two-year wait after Robert Kubica scored in Germany in 2019, when both Russell and Latifi scored in Hungary, while the Briton also secured a podium at the controversial Belgian Grand Prix.
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The team now has a chance to take further steps on the grid with new rules that reset the status quo, but what did we learn from Williams in 2021?
Hard work pays off
The fighting the team has endured since 2018 wasn’t due to a lack of hard work. The independence of the Williams setup simply meant that the financial strength of the automakers around the team was able to stretch their legs through development cycles.
But with the dawn of an era of budget cap and the cash injection from new owner Dorilton Capital, Williams has stood out from the bottom of the table and ahead of Haas and Alfa Romeo.
After bad luck in the first half of the season, points finally came in Hungary, a total of 23 were collected over the course of the year.
Russell’s success in qualifying proved that every good result wasn’t a coincidence, just Williams’ determination, which finally paid off.
Capito brings change
The appointment of Jost Capito as CEO was a breath of fresh air that made it possible to reintroduce new ideas and a winning mentality.
Capito also took on the main responsibilities of the team last year, bringing on former Volkswagen WRC teammate FX Demaison as technical director, changes that made a noticeable difference.
What was seen on the Williams team was a change in mentality. Suddenly the belief in the team that positive results would come again seemed to grow again. The despondency of that garage is a thing of the past.
This is just the beginning of Capito’s tenure. After a few years, we can look back on his influence as a turning point in Williams’ fortune.
Team spirit is the secret weapon
If there was one moment that perfectly summed up why Williams was able to regain a foothold in F1, it would be Russell’s team radio messages in Hungary.
Even though Russell was the team’s leading position in three years and was regularly the driver to threaten a score, Russell found himself in the top 10 behind Latifi on the track with both of them.
The message from the Mercedes bound driver that the team should focus on their teammate Latifi and effectively sacrifice their own race to ensure the team consolidates points showed how close the Grove-based team is.
This could prove crucial as the teams find their way through the start of a new development cycle this year.
Mercedes reliability stopped even better results
Williams was a victim of the poor reliability of the Mercedes engine last season, which almost certainly lost points.
Problems in Austria put Russell out of the race, while both drivers were penalized later in the year.
Of course, Aston Martin, McLaren and Mercedes themselves were also hampered by the PU problems.
While the 54 point gap to Aston Martin suggests another step in the championship was unlikely, the notion that similar issues could affect improved charging in 2022 will be cause for concern.
Latifi gives Williams post-Russell hope
While Russell largely dominated his neck-and-neck race with Latifi, the stats don’t tell the full story.
Most of the time, Latifi was knocked out of Q1 painfully, a little behind his teammate, the only difference between advancing into the next session.
In the races, Latifi’s overall pace was competitive and when he got his chance in Hungary he took it confidently.
The point is that while Williams is losing a star with Russell, Latifi is actually not as big a step backwards as some claim. Add this to Alex Albon’s signature, and pessimism can turn into optimism.
