Paddy Lowe admitted it was a tough afternoon at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday, and it was particularly disappointing not to score points when some of the front running teams run into issues.
Felipe Massa saw his race compromised on the opening lap when he suffered a puncture whilst battling Fernando Alonso into turn two, while Lance Stroll endured a tough first Spanish Grand Prix, crossing the line sixteenth and last, meaning neither Williams Martini Racing driver secured points.
With the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Scuderia Ferrari and Red Bull Racing all losing a car during the race, Chief Technical Officer Lowe admitted it was not the kind of day to waste the opportunity for points, especially in the incredibly tight midfield battle that is ongoing in 2017.
“It was tough day, particularly with the various incidents at the front, making it a bad day to not be up there in the points,” said Lowe.
“Felipe had a fantastic start and gained several places, but unfortunately he came into contact with Fernando, which caused a front-right puncture. That ruined his race.
“His pace in clean air was very strong: He was matching Daniel lap-for-lap on his first stint. I think we had the potential to have a very good result.
“For Lance, he finished the race without incident and he was able to learn more about tyre management and race craft. We hope he can continue to progress in Monaco.”
