The Williams Racing team has made a definite step forward this season, but does not have a point to show for it. The Grove-based team had George Russell finish as high as in seventh in the opening practice session at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve circuit for the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix.
Russell was involved in the high speed crash with Valtteri Bottas at the previous race in Imola. The young Briton was running in the points and the unfortunate crash and its aftermath has cast the spotlight on the talented young driver.
Russell regretted some of his actions and words after the crash and will be looking to have his performance do all the talking. Russell has qualified well and has consistently got himself into the second qualification session.
Russell was satisfied with his performance on the opening day and said: “Naturally the car has moved forward and the team is looking in great shape. I think we are getting the most out of our package and I’m pleased with that. The wind really picked up in the afternoon and it is no secret that we struggle in those conditions.
“I don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver, but if the wind dies down we will improve and I think P2 was the worst of it this weekend. This circuit is incredibly exposed and undulating, so if you do get a gust of wind you really do feel it. Looking ahead to tomorrow, I think Q2 is the minimum for us and I hope we will be fighting for points on Sunday.”
Nicholas Latifi: “We’ll do some homework tonight, try to reset and find some pace tomorrow”
Nicholas Latifi finished in nineteenth position in both practice sessions. The Canadian did not perform as well as his team-mate Russell and has his work cut out for him on Saturday.
Latifi reflecting on his opening day said: “Overall I’m not very pleased with the day. We definitely have our work cut out for us tonight to try and claw back some of the pace that’s missing. Straight away in FP1 there was quite a contrast to how the car felt in Imola.
“There’s a lot of flat-out kinks on this track, corners that should be easy flat-out, that were borderline flat-out for me, especially in FP1. So it’s just really a lack of confidence in the car. We did try some things going into FP2 which made it marginally better, but still pretty much the exact same struggles as in FP1. So not how you want a Friday to go, but we’ll do some homework tonight, try to reset and find some pace tomorrow.”
