Williams Racing go into the final part of the last triple header of the season this weekend, at the brand new for Formula One, Qatar Grand Prix held at the Losail International Circuit, the team will be hoping to get back into the points this weekend.
George Russell will be hoping to end his final triple-header for Williams in strong fashion, the British driver finished an admirable thirteenth at last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a weekend which saw the team struggle overall.
Qatar presents the team with a good opportunity, with no one in the paddock quite sure what to expect from the upcoming weekend. Russell is excited going into Losail and believes that with the right set-up, the rewards could be incredible.
“It is always very exciting to visit new tracks, so I am looking forward to heading to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend. I’ve driven the layout in the simulator at Grove and I think it has a very nice flow to it, with lots of medium and high-speed corners. When these are coupled with the long straight, I think it will offer a lot of variability in terms of set-up options for all teams and therefore means that if you get it right the rewards could be great.”
“The team will have to get up to speed” – Nicholas Latifi
Nicholas Latifi will be hoping to better his finishing position from Brazil this weekend in Qatar. The Canadian crossed the line in sixteenth last weekend after unfortunately being caught out by the VSC.
Latifi does get a good chance this weekend though to show his raw talent, with every driver being on an equal playing field going into this Qatar. Latifi is interested to see how the Grand Prix pans out and is excited to visit a country he’s never been too before.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge of going to a new track and racing at Losail International Circuit. Formula One has never been to Qatar before, so all of us in the team will have to get up to speed without the historical data that we usually have, but that will be a nice challenge.
“We’re going to be visiting Qatar regularly as it will be on the calendar from 2023 onwards, and so it will be an interesting opportunity to explore the local area as it will also be my first time in the country. We have a couple of new races coming up now, with this event followed by Saudi Arabia, so I’m excited to experience some brand new Grands Prix.”
Credit: Williams Racing