Pat Symonds, the man behind the remarkable transformation at Williams, remains an admirably dissatisfied figure. The team’s chief technical officer masterminded their progress from ninth in the constructors’ championship in 2013 to third last year. Their dismal performance two years ago represented their nadir, with only five points won; in 2014 they collected 320.
“But my disappointment about last year is that we didn’t win a race,” says Symonds. “That rankles with me, so I’m pretty desperate to win this time.”
Felipe Massa’s fourth position in the opening grand prix in Melbourne earlier this month [Valtteri Bottas was not fit enough to race] was confirmation that Williams would once again be competitive, although Symonds admits: “Ferrari were quicker than us in Australia, so we have work to do.”
Two years ago Williams were simply unable to compete but now it’s any time, any place, anywhere for the team sponsored by Martini. Symonds is convinced they can go one better and take the winning flag this year. “Whenever Mercedes failed last year, Red Bull picked up the pieces but this year we want to be the team picking up the points when Mercedes don’t get it right.
“Mercedes have a significant advantage over everyone else. We believe ourselves and Ferrari are very close. We see Ferrari as strong competition. They have a better power unit and aerodynamically they have stepped up, too. Red Bull will still be good aerodynamically but their engine may not have moved on as much as Ferrari.”
A great deal is made of the fact that Williams are strong because they have a Mercedes power unit. Before then, however, they struggled with a Renault engine, which they shared with Red Bull, the dominant team in Formula One for four years until last year.
Engines are now even more important than before but Symonds, preparing for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix, has brought about a profound change in the attitude at Williams. “When I arrived [in 2013] there was no confidence in the team,” he says. “I was really proud of what we did last year after what happened the season before – and by the end of the year we were a damn sight closer than we were at the beginning. That was very satisfying. It made everyone believe in themselves. It’s so important as a team that you believe you can win and it was a great way to finish the season, with two podiums at Abu Dhabi. We had a real shot at it.
“Our job in the winter was to keep that momentum going; not just the physical aspects of designing a good and competitive car but attitude of mind and fostering a winning spirit. That’s what we’ve really worked on.
“Some people get worn down by lack of success. It takes a lot to convince people that this time it’s for real. In 2012 our win in Barcelona was a bit of a false dawn and after that a lot of people became quite cynical. So even when we started to get results in 2014, with 10 points in each of the first three races, one of my biggest problems was that everyone was happy with that. I was saying this is not good enough, we need more. By the end of the year they were beginning to believe.”
The pre-season has been dominated by big-money moves by Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel but Symonds is insistent he would not change his drivers for anyone.
“They are a great combination,” he says. “And they are absolutely what Williams need at the moment. They are a perfect fit for the team. If, last year, we had had Alonso and Vettel, we wouldn’t have been ready for them as a team.
“The expectations and demands would have been too high. I really believe Valtteri can win the championship one day. He’s quick, he’s intelligent, he continually learns from everything he does. I’ve seen those characteristics in champions over many years.
“I was very pleased to employ Felipe. He’s a great guy. He was written off too early. It wasn’t that long ago that he nearly won the world championship [in 2008]. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but he’s been a revelation. He’s a fabulous team player, he’s so popular with everyone and by God he’s quick. He’s enjoying life again, that’s part of the reason he’s quick. He’s relaxed, he likes motor racing again. He wasn’t enjoying it very much before. So I wouldn’t change what we’ve got.”
From the early signs this year the best battle will be for second place, between Williams and Ferrari. Last year, despite a huge disadvantage in terms of resources, Williams beat off the Italian giants and few would bet against Symonds achieving a similar result this season.
Symonds, however, is worried about the sport’s finances. “There is too much of a divide between the teams. We must concentrate on the sustainability of the business. We need clear direction and clear targets – and we have neither at the moment. You need targets before direction, so this is a troubling time for F1. It’s such a strong brand it will survive it but it could be so much better.
“Is there a five-year plan in Formula One? Of course there isn’t. In most cases a business won’t last five years unless it has a five-year plan.”
