04/07/2005
NEWS STORY
 |
Following what, technical director, Sam Michael, admitted was a "disappointing race", WilliamsF1 will approach this weekend's British Grand Prix with typically bullish - or should that be Bulldog? - determination.
Despite a new aerodynamic package the two WilliamsF1 drivers had a torrid time of it on Sunday, with both drivers experiencing (different) technical problems.
In the team's post race press release, BMW Motorsport director, Mario Theissen, was only too keen to point out that "the engines ran without problem", prompting fresh claims of a rift between the English team and its engine supplier, in the wake of the German manufacturers' recent announcement that it will enter F1 in 2006 as a works team, having bought Sauber.
Nonetheless, WilliamsF1 remains fully focussed, as it looks forward to its home race, an event that has played a significant role in the Grove outfit's history, since it is where it scored its first victory, in 1979.
"Despite a disappointing performance in Magny-Cours on the release of the FW27's mark II bodywork, the team will not be deflected from its aggressive approach to towards its development programme," a spokesman told Pitpass.
"It's analogous to walking a tightrope without a safety net - sure, you might fall off, but dust yourself down and get back on - it's a much better approach than doing nothing at all and one we are entirely comfortable with," he added.
"The approach to take risks and push hard has characterised the team's mindset all year - the mark II bodywork was the biggest single step in over 100 new aero releases to the FW27 so far this season. The push has delivered real gains, which were most demonstrable in Monaco.
"We're confident that the mark II bodywork will yield significant advantages," he continued, "but clearly we will be working intensively this week to analyse what worked & what didn'. The team is approaching Silverstone realistically, but with full confidence and its appetite to take risks intact."
That sounds pretty damn bullish to us.