Vowles: We’ll get a chance to score points in Las Vegas

Williams chief James Vowles analyzed the disappointing results from the Brazilian leg of the championship and stressed that in Las Vegas his team’s chances of earning points would be much better.

James Vowles: “The results of the Brazilian weekend, including the sprint, are disappointing as we earned no points at all, while our main competitor, AlphaTauri, earned a lot. Thanks to the fact that they had a fast car, they closed the gap to us to just seven points.

In addition, Alex Albon’s car suffered very serious damage in an incident on the first lap of the São Paulo Grand Prix. But still, we received useful information that will help us better understand what we need to do to prepare for next year.

But in reality the conditions in Brazil were unfavorable for us, for our car: it was too hot there. The FW45 slid a lot on the track, causing the tires to overheat, which affected the car’s performance at both low and high speeds. As a result, we found ourselves in a worse position than the others and could not keep the tires within the required temperature range.

However, there are still two races ahead where we believe we have a good chance of continuing to challenge for seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Returning to Sunday’s race in Sao Paulo, Vowles said, in response to a fan question: “Logan Sargent is doing well and we’ll have a chat here at the Williams’ Grove base today. But we have to check his position in the cockpit of the car because after the Grand Prix his hand hurt.

Since there was no such thing at other circuits, I suspect this is due to the fact that traffic at Interlagos moves counter-clockwise and the way the seat belts are positioned in relation to the driver’s shoulders.”

James Vowles also noted that in Brazil, Sargent and Albon’s cars were in exactly the same configuration, and this will be the case in Las Vegas: “We have been working on this consistently as the end of the season approaches, and the tracks where the last two stages that are held fit better with FW45.

Due to Alex’s accident, the number of spare parts we have has obviously decreased, but we had all planned for this in advance, so that both cars will still be in the latest modernized version.

I am looking forward to the race in Las Vegas with particular interest. Firstly, we’re in for an impressive show, and secondly, I believe this new city circuit suits our car. In terms of rear wing performance, it requires about the same settings as Monza, although perhaps closer to Spa. There is therefore a chance that the strengths of the FW45 will be fully appreciated there. Secondly, the asphalt pavement temperatures there are unlikely to be high – in fact, the opposite is true, they will be very low.

If we talk about difficulties, then since this is a completely new circuit, there is new asphalt, the surface of which will be smooth. On the one hand, this creates opportunities. on the other hand, it increases the risks. I suspect that in Las Vegas there may be problems with the softest tires. However, we have to assume that the situation will improve as the weekend progresses.

In any case, compared to some previous rounds, in Las Vegas we have the best chance to achieve success, earn more points and stay ahead of AlphaTauri in the Constructors’ Championship.”