To alleviate his well-documented money troubles over the past few years as the cost of participating in Formula 1 increased, Williams reached out to a number of drivers who brought in significant financial support, including Pastor Maldonado, Lance Stroll, and Sergey Sirotkin.
But new investments by new owner Dorilton Capital after buying Williams last year have placed the Grove-based company in a much stronger financial position.
Williams has yet to confirm its driver line-up for 2022. George Russell seems closer than ever to landing a Mercedes seat, while Nicholas Latifi – who brings financial support – is also out of contract at the end of the year.
Capito has already emphasized that Williams is in no hurry to announce its driver plans and made it clear at the Hungarian GP that it is not looking for candidates to bring in sponsorship.
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“I think we at Williams are in a position to decide the drivers alone,” said Capito. “As in the past, we are not dependent on someone, a driver who brings in money.
“We have a long-term plan to get back to the top and we have to choose the riders who fit into that plan. We are just thinking about it. Of course everyone can talk to us, but the decision is ours. “
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Williams has been impressed with Latifi’s performances compared to Russell this season, although the Canadian has not yet qualified his teammate.
Even before Latifi scored his first F1 points with a strong drive to seventh place in Hungary, Capito had said that there was “no reason not to have him next year”.
“If you compare him to George, it doesn’t make much of a difference, especially in the races,” added Capito. “He has a good racing speed, he brings the car home, he doesn’t make any mistakes, he helps the team and is liked by the team.
“And he had a couple of qualifying sessions where he was unlucky with the wind conditions that changed from his run to George’s run. Our car is very sensitive to the wind conditions where George was just outside when our car was doing really well.
“And then, a few minutes later, when Nicholas was out, it was the exact opposite. If we analyze it, that’s pretty good, so there’s no reason not to have it next year. “
Valtteri Bottas, Aston Martin reserve Nico Hülkenberg and the newly crowned Formula E world champion Nyck de Vries are linked to a potential Williams drive for 2022.
“I think every driver who doesn’t have a permanent seat for next year or an option for next year is talking to us right now,” said Capito.
“It is currently the most coveted seat in Formula 1 for a team that has to occupy a seat.”
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