Jost Capito is hopeful that the 2022 rules reset gives Williams a chance to make a clear step forward, after climbing from the very bottom of the Formula 1 field between 2020 and '21. While Williams languished in 10th and last place in the Constructors' Championship in 2020, they rose to eighth in 2021 after several points finishes and a stellar podium result for George Russell at Spa-Francorchamps. Speaking at the launch of Williams' brand new FW44, the team boss said that he's counting on the psychological lift of such improvements translating into further momentum for '22. "It was a great season for us, especially the step from 2020 to '21 was really great," he said. "These results in the points, and the podium, gave a boost to the entire team, not just to the guys who are at the racetrack, but also to everybody in the factory. That's the designers, the engineers, everybody. "I hope that this will show up in the performance of the FW44 this year."
Capito eager to see FW44 show its pace on track
The sweeping new technical regulations, together with a tightening budget cap, offer a much more level playing field for teams with fewer resources. Capito explained that, while the new regulations represent a huge engineering challenge that needs to be overcome, the wealth of experience and talent within the ranks of the team means that he's eager to see just how well the FW44 goes once it takes to the track in anger. "The regulations are really new, so the whole aerodynamic concept of the car is very, very different," he commented. "It should allow the cars to drive closer to each other because the so-called dirty air behind the car should be much less. We'll see if that really happens. The theory is one thing and the reality has to prove that the theory is right, but we'll see. "You are learning all the time. It's more than 40 years now that Williams is in F1. So, all the experience over the years, they come together, they collect, we have great talent within the team and we'll see what they could have done."
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