RoKiT Williams F1 Provide Update on their ‘Progress’

Williams F1 have suffered a further blow ahead of the new season, with the team saying their car will likely not run until “Wednesday at the earliest”.

The problems means Williams are poised to miss at least two days of the eight days of pre-season testing because of delays building the new car.

Deputy team boss Claire Williams said the delay is “extremely disappointing”.

Williams F1 finished last of 10 teams in 2018 and were hoping to make progress after internal restructuring.

The team have blamed the delays in the build of the new FW42 on trying to extend the design process as long as possible in the search for performance.

Williams said: “It is looking more likely than not that we will now not be in a position to run on track until Wednesday at the earliest.”

The team have an all-new driver line-up of Robert Kubica, who is returning to F1 after eight years out caused by life-changing injuries suffered in a rally crash in February 2011, and British novice George Russell, the reigning Formula 2 champion.

The latest delay comes after Williams were forced to postpone a planned shakedown test on Saturday, and then to miss the first day of pre-season testing on Monday.

The car is still at the team’s factory in Grove, Oxfordshire, and the current hope is that it will be ready to fly to Spain late on Tuesday.

That means it is unlikely at this stage that the car will run first thing Wednesday morning, but the team are hoping to get it out on to the track at some stage that day.

The delay is leading to speculation about the future of chief technical officer Paddy Lowe, who joined from Mercedes in 2017 and is ultimately responsible for the car.

Just as concerning for Williams F1, insiders say the car does not look like it will be quick when it does finally hit the track.

Sources say the car is projected to be as much as two seconds slower than last year’s, which was already the slowest on the grid.

Rule changes to front wings have reduced downforce but many teams have clawed a large part of it back.

If the word from inside the team is accurate, Williams could be facing a season adrift of the rest of the field.