Drivers: Felipe Massa – 11th, 53 points; Valtteri Bottas – 8th, 85 points
Best grid position: 2nd – Bottas, Russia
Best race result: 3rd – Bottas, Canada
2016 World Constructors Championship Position (2015, 2014): 5th (3rd, 3rd)
2014 and 2015 showed that Williams could be back at the front of the field. Some timely changes to the team and the dominant Mercedes power unit propelled the once-great team from the back of the pack, towards the very front. Whilst they were – like everybody else, unable to challenge their power unit supplier, they did at least threaten other great teams for podiums. Were Williams able to sustain that level of performance into 2016?
Williams F1 2016 Review
Williams would start their third season with Mercedes power fairly well with a handful of points at Australia. They would continue to pick up points despite a few woes at Bahrain and China, before having what would turn out to be their best two-car result of the season at Russia, with fourth and fifth. Williams’ key challengers in 2016 – Force India, would meanwhile endure a horrendous start to the year.
Bottas would have his typical flyer at Catalunya, whilst Massa would cement his form with a strong result there as well, before a lack of downforce – Williams’ Achilles Heel over the past few years would haunt them in the wet at Monaco. To make matters worse, Force India would come away with a podium. Williams would fight back however, with a podium of their own at Montreal thanks to Bottas.
The second third of the season would see an ebb and flow of results – some going Force India’s way, and some going Williams’ way. However, after the summer break it became clear that Force India had simply out-developed Williams and it was down to the drivers and reliability to sort this all out.
Belgium saw Force India take 22 points to Williams’ five, whilst Williams fought back at Italy with ten points to five for Force India. Collisions would take Nico Hulkenberg out twice in the second part of the year, whilst Bottas had a retirement due to overheating at Singapore. There was very little between the two teams throughout the year but the nail went into the coffin at Massa’s home race at Brazil, where Force India established a 27 point lead, which became unsurpassable.
On the positive side for Williams, they were by far the fastest team in the pit stops across the year, and a lot of eyes will be on the team in 2017 as they will field the youngest driver on the grid – 18 year old Lance Stroll, who will replace the retiring Massa.
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