Williams demand financial regularity from FIA

The Williams F1 team has made a plea to the FIA to ensure a more ‘level playing field’ and make the field ‘fairer’ in terms of the financial gulf currently existing between the top teams and the rest of the grid.

“There continues to be a large gap in competitive expenditure between the leading teams and the rest of the grid, and we remain hopeful that the future of the sport under Liberty Media will bring about a fairer, more level playing field for all teams,” said Williams CEO, Mike O’Driscoll.

“We have delivered a solid set of financial results in what has been a challenging half year for our Formula 1 operations, whilst continuing to demonstrate growth in our Williams Advanced Engineering Business,” added O’Driscoll.

“Revenue and EBITDA in Formula 1 reduced in the first half of 2018, reflecting the challenging financial environment we operate in as an independent team.”

Williams find themselves at the bottom of the constructors’ standings this season, with only two points-scoring finishes across the season. The team was badly criticized earlier by their Canadian recruit, Lance Stroll, for their constant under-performance.

“We are enduring a tough 2018 season on track, which has demanded additional investment to tackle performance issues, and we have been working through these while also turning significant attention to the design of next year’s car,” said the Williams CEO.

He went on to outline what the team was aiming for and was determined that better facilities would enable them to succeed. “Although we continue to face challenges in a very dynamic environment, we are well placed to respond,” he said.

“With world class facilities and a strong and talented organisation, Williams remains determined to succeed.”

Williams looked to be in good hands as regards development as they roped in Robert Kubica, widely recognized as one of the most talented drivers to grace F1, as their test driver at the start of the season.

However, they have not been able to use his experience as even he admitted his frustration at the under-developed car. The only way forward for them is to ensure that the plea made by their CEO comes true.