In preparation for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Williams faced significant logistical and technological challenges compounded by back-to-back weekends of costly crashes that tested the team’s resilience.
Williams has had to make quick changes as they get ready for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The logistical and financial burdens caused by the events at the Mexico City and Sao Paulo Grands Prix have put Williams in a difficult spot.
Sven Smeets, Williams’ sporting director, praised the team’s tremendous effort in reconstructing two wrecked cars in time for this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, calling it a tribute to what the Grove-based team “is made of.”
Is Williams in trouble?
Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon have worsened Williams’ recent struggles. Albon collided twice in Mexico City and once during the qualifying round in São Paulo. In contrast, Colapinto experienced problems during the race in Brazil’s rainy weather as well as during qualifying.
There had been rumours that Williams may skip the whole Las Vegas Grand Prix because of the high expense of maintenance and replacement components due to the short turnaround for the season’s final tripleheader.
Williams confirms their participation in the Las Vegas GP
The media had speculated that Williams might skip the Las Vegas race because of a shortage of spare parts, given the recent collision damage, which entails high repair costs and pressure on spare parts.
But that has since been denounced. F1 journalist Lawrence Barretto confirmed that Williams has both cars ready for Vegas.
“I’ve just chatted to Williams. They tell me there’s no truth to the chatter they won’t be in Vegas after sustaining massive damage via three crashes in Brazil. They say they’ll have both cars ready to race in Nevada. That’s an incredible effort from the team and suppliers.” Barretto Via X (formerly known as Twitter).
Williams unveils new livery for Vegas GP
Amidst all the rumours, Williams confirmed their participation by revealing their livery for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Williams’s paintwork tapers from the intake towards the rear wing in bright yellow to commemorate its connection with sponsor Keeper Security.
James Vowles did emphasize the challenges Williams would have in being fully up and running for the Las Vegas Grand Prix prior to the livery announcement, but he also stated that he still has “high hopes” for the team.
Williams drivers hold on to optimism
Williams endured one of the toughest weeks possible for a team the last time they were on the track. Alexander Albon’s severe crash in Brazil’s Q3 prevented the team from preparing his car for the race.
Teammate Franco Colapinto, who also crashed in Q1, started the race but later crashed again. With both cars severely damaged, the team faced the challenge of rebuilding them for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. A task they captured in a remarkable video showcasing the around-the-clock effort. But the Williams duo is holding onto optimism and is looking forward to a fruitful weekend in Nevada.
In a teammate statement released by the team, both drivers stated their determination to repay the team’s hard work by “fighting for points” in Las Vegas.
Despite the difficulties, Albon emphasized the team’s resilience, highlighting the determination to turn things around in Las Vegas. The car is fully rebuilt and a fresh start is ahead. The focus is now on securing points and proving their strength on the track.
“We have an incredible opportunity to come back fighting in Vegas and bounce back from one of the toughest weekends we’ve ever experienced at Williams during my time here.” – Alex Albon.
Colapinto is looking forward to grabbing any opportunity to score the maximum points possible for the team.
“We still have three races left with plenty of opportunities to fight for points starting with Vegas. We’ll keep pushing as hard as we can until the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi as anything is possible.” – Franco Colapinto.
The team is determined to push as hard as they can until they reach the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi. With Las Vegas ahead, they are ready to give it their all and aim for a strong finish to the season.
