After the two races where Williams should have been arguably at their strongest – and they delivered a podium for each driver, the Grove-based team now head to Formula One’s night race where on paper, they should struggle compared to their key rivals Red Bull and Ferrari. However, we have seen Williams already perform on street circuits on more than one occasion this season, with Valtteri Bottas carving his way through the field in Australia and likewise with Felipe Massa on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Williams has had an up-and-down record so far at Singapore, a race which has been held since 2008 – whilst Williams has well and truly been in their darkest patch. They either score with both cars (2008, 2010) or with none at all (2009, 2011-13) and they so far have just one podium here, Nico Rosberg’s brilliant second race in the inaugural event despite a penalty. Other than that, Rubens Barrichello’s sixth in 2010 is the only other result worth shouting about here, although Pastor Maldonado came close to scoring a point here last year in the terrible FW35. Their two current drivers Bottas and Massa will be aiming to at the very least achieve a double points finish here, and will be hoping to challenge the Red Bulls and the Ferraris for the final podium spot.
Williams Singapore Grand Prix Preview
No. 19 Felipe Massa – 9th
Form: R/R/5/13/3
2013 (Driving for Ferrari): Grid: P6, Race: P6
Massa had a relatively solid if unspectacular race here last year: qualifying in the same spot in which he finished. He outqualified his team mate Fernando Alonso but finished behind him. Oddly enough, that was his best result at Singapore, a race where he has been on pole once and bar 2011, he has improved on his race result from the previous year, so there is no reason why we should rule out a possible top five finish here, especially given that he achieved his breakthrough podium for Williams at the last round at Monza.
No. 77 Valtteri Bottas – 4th
Form: 2/2/8/3/4
2013: Grid: P16, Race: P13
Like his team mate, Bottas outqualified his team mate here last year but finished behind him. In is only appearance at Singapore to date he did struggle compared to Maldonado in the race. However, Bottas still has achieved as many podiums in the last five races as championship leader Nico Rosberg and as Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. Bottas will be looking to return to the podium here in Singapore, something that is absolutely not out of the realms of possibility.
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