Williams F1 Race News

07.06.2015 Canadian GP Race

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas finished third and Felipe Massa sixth in today’s Canadian Grand Prix.
• Valtteri capitalised on a mistake by Räikkönen to move into third after his first and only pitstop, subsequently showing strong pace to keep clear of the Ferrari to secure the team’s first podium of the season.
• Starting out of position in P15 after problems in qualifying, Felipe drove a brilliant race to pick his way through the field and secure valuable points for the team.
• The team has extended its hold on third position in the Constructors’ Championship with a total of 108 points for the season so far.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: The message I gave to the team this morning was that we have to go into this race believing in ourselves and be on the top of our game. If we did that I believed we could get on the podium with Valtteri and get a lot of points with Felipe, and that's exactly what we've done. The two drivers were absolutely fantastic all race. The team has worked well as a unit and the strategies were spot on. The rewards are there when you get it right and we need to use this as a good boost to keep moving forwards. We now have races ahead of us where we should be aiming for more podiums.

Felipe Massa: After a challenging qualifying for me yesterday I’m happy with how the race has gone and I’ve picked up some good points. Starting P15 was always going to lead to a busy race and there was a lot of great overtaking and the car had good consistent pace. We managed to have a one stop race and still keep the pace with the option tyre at the end which was fantastic. With the car I had today I could have been fighting for podiums, but all in all this has been a very positive weekend for the team and we should be very competitive in the next few races, especially with some upgrades planned for the car.

Valtteri Bottas: We really maximised everything today and I'm really happy for us as a team. We had an opportunity to get third and we took it. We had the chance to change the strategy in the middle of the race and go for one stop instead of two. We knew it could be a risk but the team knew what to do and we were right. There was not much threat from behind so we could take a bit of a risk, and I'm really proud that we did. We were racing hard today and we earned the podium. It’s great to be back in the top three and we know there are better Grands Prix to come because of the updates we are bringing so I can't wait for the next few races.

10.05.2015 Spanish GP Race

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas finished fourth and Felipe Massa sixth in today’s Spanish Grand Prix.
• Valtteri’s long second stint on the option tyre allowed the team to change from a three-stop to a two-stop race, helping him to keep the closing Ferrari of Räikkönen at bay in the final laps.
• Felipe managed to make up positions in the opening stint and drove an untroubled and consistent race to collect eight points for the team.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: Overall I’m pleased with the result today. The car has shown pretty good pace throughout the weekend and we wanted to see if we could convert that potential into points. There was a lot of talk about different teams bringing updates for this race with big gains. We have shown that our improvements have moved us forwards and this ended up being our closest finish to Ferrari. It was a good job by the aerodynamic team and all the people back at Grove, as well as an excellent operational performance from the team today, with good strategy choices and well executed pitstops. We need to keep heading in this direction and to keep finding additional performance gains in this package to help us challenge for podiums in future.

Felipe Massa: It was a good race for the team, scoring 20 points, not losing too much to Ferrari, but also getting a lot more than Red Bull which is really important and positive for our championship position. I managed to overtake cars on the first lap and then fought hard with Kimi (Räikkönen) for a long time, which was hard on the tyres. Because of the extra degradation a three-stop race was better for me today, but it meant the others were too far ahead. We finished with one car in front of a Ferrari so we have shown that we can be competitive with them and we can now look forward to Monaco which will be a very different test for the car.

Valtteri Bottas: It feels good to split the Ferraris for a second race in a row and this has been another solid points haul for the team. Tyre life was better than we expected and as a result we changed from a three-stop to a two-stop race, which was a good strategic choice from the team because it allowed me to keep Räikkönen behind. The big positive is that we were closer to the leaders than we have been at any point this season. That gives me a lot of hope because we have shown that the updates we are bringing are improving our performance. I want to thank all the team here and in Grove for providing me with a great car to go racing with, and I’d also like to thank Mercedes HPP as they continue to push hard on the power unit to help us keep our competitors at bay.

19.04.2015 Bahrain Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas finished fourth and Felipe Massa tenth in today’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
• After a sensor issue on the final fire up caused Felipe’s power unit not to start he was forced to start from the pitlane.
• Felipe fought his way back up to eighth but, struggling for pace due to damage sustained after being hit in the early stages, he dropped back to tenth in the final laps.

. Valtteri made a clean getaway from the grid and after holding P5 for the majority of the race, he was able to capitalise on Sebastian Vettel’s unplanned pitstop for a new front wing, holding off the Ferrari successfully for 17 laps to take fourth.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: It was a race of two halves today for us. Felipe had a sensor issue on the grid and we struggled to return from that. In the end Felipe drove a great race to fight back and bring the car home with a point. Valtteri had a great race as we managed to capitalise on Vettel’s mistake and he did a brilliant job to hold off the Ferrari for 17 laps in the closing stages. Overall, our targets are being met in terms of Championship position but we need to develop the package quicker to catch the cars in front.

Felipe Massa: It was a frustrating day for me to have to start from the pitlane. The car struggled to fire-up and once under way I had a lot of positions to make up. A few laps in at Turn Four, Maldonado ran into the back of me and damaged something. From then on I really struggled with the rear and the car was very hard to drive. It was a difficult day but one point is better than nothing.

Valtteri Bottas: I am pleased with the race and happy with fourth position. It was a real shame for the team that Felipe had an issue at the start. It was a lonely race but the final 20 laps were very tough. Sebastian was quicker than me, and closed up behind very fast, but the fight was really good fun. I know a few tricks that can really help to defend and they all worked today, and I am delighted to come out on top today.

29.03.2015 Malaysian Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas finished fifth and Felipe Massa sixth in today’s Malaysian Grand Prix
• After a poor start Valtteri benefited from an early safety car, as did Felipe, who at one stage was running in fourth position
• A recovering Kimi Raikkonen jumped both drivers at the final of three pitstops as Felipe and Valtteri raced wheel-to-wheel to the end, swapping positions on the final lap.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: It was a good team performance and we finished with the maximum points on offer considering the pace of the car. It was a tough race in the heat but we have highlighted some areas of the package that we need to improve. We made a good recovery from a difficult Saturday and it was good to have both cars racing each other at the end.

Felipe Massa: I don’t think we had a fantastic day today. We had a small problem in the pitstop which lost a little time. Valtteri was able to catch me in the final few laps, but it was good to race wheel-to-wheel. We have got the best points we could for the team given the where the car is at the moment.

Valtteri Bottas: It was a nice race in the end. I was always in the wrong place at the start and lost a lot of time and positions. I made the most of the performance of the car and it was great to be able to race Felipe at the end. We know we have some work to do, we need to learn from our mistakes and keep progressing. We have some upgrades that are due shortly which will hopefully be a further step in the right direction.

27.11.2014 Williams Announces New Partnership with Unilever’s Rexona brand

Williams (Ticker: WGF1) is pleased to announce that it has signed a new multi-year partnership agreement with the global consumer goods company Unilever, beginning in 2015. Unilever will use the unique platform of Formula One to further brand awareness for its leading performance deodorant brand, Rexona. The Rexona logo will appear on the sidepod, front wing and front wishbones of the Williams Mercedes FW37, as well as the team environment and apparel.

Santiago Iturralde, Rexona Global Brand VP, explains: “As the number one global top performance deodorant brand we are delighted to announce this partnership with Williams Martini Racing. Formula One exudes performance and is a captivating sport for millions of our consumers worldwide.”

“The adrenaline, stress, temperature and movement that the drivers, team and fans experience during a Formula One race undoubtedly make them sweat. This is the ultimate torture test for a deodorant – and Rexona won’t let you down,” adds Iturralde.

Furthermore Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology and engineering services business of the Williams Group, will be working with Unilever to provide support in the areas of sustainability and efficiency.

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, Williams Martini Racing, says: “We’re delighted to be partnering with a company of Unilever’s global stature in what is a long term collaboration. Williams has a history of partnering with consumer brands to elevate their global reach and we will be using the full range of marketing tools afforded by Formula One and Williams to help Unilever and Rexona achieve their goals. We both have a commitment to sustainability and we will be sharing Williams Advanced Engineering’s growing expertise in energy efficient technologies to jointly tackle this important issue.”

Williams Martini Racing has enjoyed a recent resurgence in performance with a successful 2014 campaign. Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas ended the season in Abu Dhabi on the podium in second and third respectively, securing third place in the Constructors’ Championship.

23.11.2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Felipe Massa finished second and Valtteri Bottas third in the final Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi.
• After a difficult start for Valtteri he fought his way back through the field whilst Felipe maintained position in third.
• Felipe managed his tyres well in every stint and after overtaking Nico Rosberg began closing the gap to leader Hamilton.
• The team’s first double podium finish since 2005 secured third in the Constructors’ Championship with Valtteri fourth and Felipe seventh in the Drivers’ Championship.

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal: I am exceptionally proud of the team today, to go from P9 last year to P3 in 2014 is amazing. The work to turn the team around has been hard, but I am so happy to see the smiles back on the faces of the people that work here. This is just the first step in a great future for Williams. We must congratulate Mercedes on winning both Championships and thank Mercedes HPP for all their effort throughout the season.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: It was a fitting end to the season. The team has come on over the year in an incredible fashion. To get our best result of the season in the final race is a fitting tribute to all the work we have done. It’s been over ten years since Williams was last P3 in the Constructors’ and that is testament to the effort that the guys have made, many of whom have been here through the tough times are now reaping the benefit of their commitment.

Felipe Massa: It was a close race, I didn’t think the victory was there, but it was so close at the end. It was good to be racing and pushing the Mercedes. I hope this is a strong building block to go on for next year. The team progressed so much throughout the year, which is why we were able to get podiums in the second half of the season; we will continue this forward movement into next year.

Valtteri Bottas: We were very competitive today. I got a bad start and the race was compromised after I was stuck behind a few cars, so to walk away with a podium is incredible. It was a good race; I could really push and fight. The team has grown and developed throughout the season, from our first race in Melbourne to our best result here. It’s a great start to build on for next year and to continue the team’s great history.

09.11.14 Brazilian Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Felipe Massa finished third and Valtteri Bottas tenth in today’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
• Felipe incurred a 5-second penalty after his first pitstop for speeding in the pitlane, but had enough pace to retain his third place and drove a consistent race to finish on the podium.
• Valtteri had a number of issues during his pitstops which put him back down the order in an eventual tenth place.
• WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has extended its advantage over Ferrari for third in the Constructors’ Championship to 44 points.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: That was probably the most hectic race we have had all year and was very difficult to manage from the pit wall with everything that was going on. We had a lot of issues; both cars had debris stuck in them and we had to remove these at different pit stops, Valtteri lost time in his first stop as he had an issue with his belts that we needed to check, and Felipe lost time in his second stop through a penalty and stopping in the wrong box. Nevertheless we have secured some good points in spite of these challenges, extending our lead over fourth in the Championship and Felipe put in a very mature drive to finish on the podium in front of his home fans. The car is quick and this race had proved that - we now need to make sure that in Abu Dhabi we fully maximise the points that we should be attaining with this car.

Felipe Massa: It was not an easy race but what a fantastic result for me, for my family, and for the team to finish on the podium in front of my home fans. The energy from the crowd was amazing and really pushed me forward. The car had strong and consistent pace today and this allowed me to stay in third despite issues in my two pitstops. In the first stop I incurred a stop-and-go penalty after speeding in the pit lane after I hit the limiter twice by mistake, and in the second I stopped in the wrong box. We’re not normally next to McLaren and in the light their overalls looked the same colour as ours so this caught me out. In the end these issues were not enough to take away my podium because we had a good aggressive strategy and a really good car.

Valtteri Bottas: It was a race full of different problems for me and in the end it just wasn’t my day. I had an issue with my belts at the beginning that we resolved at the first pit stop but this lost me a lot of time and I also lost time in the second stop. The conditions were very challenging as tyre wear was high and all cars were experiencing graining. As a team we have managed to come away with some decent points and I’m happy for Felipe as the crowd reaction after he got out of the car was very special. These sort of days happen in Formula One and we need to regroup and make sure that Abu Dhabi is a problem free race for us.

02.11.14 United States Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Felipe Massa finished fourth and Valtteri Bottas fifth in today’s United States Grand Prix.
• Felipe and Valtteri drove clean and consistent races, but after Ricciardo moved ahead during the pitstops, the Red Bull had the pace to hold onto the final podium position.
• WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has extended its advantage over Ferrari for third in the Constructors’ Championship to 42 points.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: We are slightly disappointed to have lost places to where we started, but at the end of the day Ricciardo was quicker than us and drove a very good race. We need to analyse our strategy as our pitstop choice allowed Red Bull to jump us for the podium, so we will go away and assess what we could have done differently and rectify that for next time. We are focused on consolidating third place in the Constructors’ Championship and we need to be satisfied with the fact that we have extended our position over Ferrari so well done to all of the team for another strong performance.

Felipe Massa: I had a very good start to get up to third place and we showed strong pace throughout the race, but unfortunately a slower than normal pitstop allowed Ricciardo to jump me and this could have cost us a podium which was possible. These things happen though and the team have been operating at a very high level with pitstops this season so we need to quickly move on from this one. On the whole we need to see this as a positive weekend as we have scored more points than our rivals in the Constructors’ Championship and we have good momentum for the final two races of the season.

Valtteri Bottas: Overall we have managed to secure some good points and increased our lead over Ferrari for third in the Constructors’ Championship, but there are a number of things we can learn from today. I had a bit of clutch slip at the beginning which allowed Ricciardo to jump me in the first corner. The Red Bull’s also had better tyre management and could run at a better pace for longer, so that made it difficult to catch Ricciardo after he jumped me at the pitstops. At this point in the season we’re trying to maximise our points haul and this has been a solid result that puts us in a good position headed into Brazil.

12.10.14 Russian Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas finished third and Felipe Massa 11th in today’s Russian Grand Prix.
• Valtteri drove a clean race and showed consistent pace to secure his fifth podium of the season.
• Felipe pitted early and quickly fought his way into the top ten, but traffic in his final stint meant that he was not able to take advantage of his fresher tyres and finish in the points.
• WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has extended its advantage over Ferrari for third in the Constructors Championship to 28 points. Congratulations to Mercedes AMG on becoming the 2014 Constructors’ Champions.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: A great result today to secure 15 points and we have extended our third position in the Constructors’ by five points which is important. Valtteri put in a very mature performance and its great see him up to fourth in the Drivers’ standings. It’s been a very disappointing weekend for Felipe and it was the reliability issue yesterday that put him very much on the back foot. We have lost at least 10 points on his car today so going forwards we need to focus on making sure that we get all of the little details right and maximise the points we score because we know the car is quick and can fight with teams at the front.

Felipe Massa: My strategy today was undermined by traffic and that prevented me from getting in the points. We decided to stop on the first lap and after that I was in clean air and had good pace on the option tyres so made up a good number of positions. I then came up against Perez who had strong straight line speed so I lost a lot of time behind him. After my second stop I soon found myself behind Perez again and I didn’t really have any good opportunities to take a risk and pass him. Of course it’s disappointing to finish 11th when we had a very competitive car, but we are looking strong at this point in the season so we need to focus now on Austin and making sure that the race is problem free.

Valtteri Bottas: We went into the race today with the mentality that we were going to fight Mercedes for the win, but their pace in the race surprised us a bit and in the end we need to be satisfied with third place and another podium. I was keeping pace with Hamilton at the beginning but in the middle of my first stint the rear tyres started to go away and that allowed him to create a gap. In the second stint I didn’t realise Rosberg was quite as close as he was and his move caught me a bit by surprise, but he had more pace at that point anyway as my prime tyres were taking a good ten laps to switch on so he would have caught me regardless. I was closing in the final laps as my tyres were getting better but he had managed to create too big a gap. I’m very happy to be in fourth place in the standings and we have some great momentum heading into the US Grand Prix.

05.10.14 Japanese Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas finished sixth and Felipe Massa seventh as the Japanese Grand Prix started, and ended, behind the safety car.
• As the track conditions improved the race began but both drivers struggled on the intermediate tyres in tricky conditions.
• The race ended early due to an accident involving Jules Bianchi, and the team’s thoughts and hopes are with him and the Marussia team.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: Our first concern is for the wellbeing of Jules, we hope that everything is ok. In the race we made some good strategy calls and as a result we extracted what we could and finished in a decent position. The conditions were difficult at the start and equally at the end as it got dark. However, our thoughts and hopes are with Jules, his family and friends, and the Marussia team.

Felipe Massa: The race was very difficult today, I suffered at the start with aquaplaning and towards the end it started to get dark as the rain fell again. The Red Bulls were too fast for us today, especially on the intermediate tyre, so there was no chance we could defend. My main focus at the moment is that Jules is ok though.

Valtteri Bottas: It was not an easy race for us today, however we still got some points which is good. The car wasn’t great in the wet but we made the most of the strategy and extracted what we could. We are missing pace in the corners and so conceded a lot of time. It was a surprise to see the Red Bull so quick, in the dry we would have fared better. I really hope Jules is ok after the incident and that it is nothing serious.

21.09.14 Singapore Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Felipe Massa finished fifth and Valtteri Bottas eleventh in an eventful Singapore Grand Prix.
• A long safety car period after the second pit stops led to a change in strategy from a three-stop to a two-stop race.
• Felipe was able to use his strategy to jump the Ferrari of Raikonnen and keep him behind him. Valtteri unfortunately ran out of tyre grip on the last lap dropping him from sixth to eleventh in the final corners.
• WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has maintained its third place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: We knew it was going to be damage limitation this weekend and on balance we should be pleased with the result as up until the final few corners, we were set to score the same number of points as our nearest rivals in the Championship. We took a calculated risk with the strategy and this succeeded for Felipe as it kept him ahead of Raikonnen who had a faster car, but with Valtteri it didn’t pay off as he ran out of tyres on the final lap which cost him sixth place. The drivers did a magnificent job behind the wheel and the team has operated very well all weekend. We are heading to tracks that will suit our car more now and we have maintained our third place in the Championship which was the objective at the beginning of the weekend.

Felipe Massa: We changed the strategy from a three-stop to a two-stop after the long safety car period, and the final stint was pushing the tyre to the absolute limit but I managed to make it work. The grip levels were very low in the final few laps but I had a big enough gap to sixth place to ease the car home. Given the nature of the track, fifth was probably the best position we could have hoped for this weekend, but I am of course disappointed for the team that Valtteri’s tyres were not able to hold on until the end.

Valtteri Bottas: After the safety car we moved to a two-stop strategy and in the end the tyres just weren’t able to hold on. In the final lap I had a big lock up in the rear tyres when I was defending and after that I had no grip and cars could easily sweep past. I also had an issue with the power steering in the final stint and this made it harder to keep the tyres alive as I lost a lot of feeling in the car. If I hadn’t had this issue then I might have been able to go until the end. Obviously I’m disappointed not to finish in the points but we can take a lot of positives from this weekend as we looked competitive at a track that is less suited to our car and we have kept third place in the Constructors’ Championship.

07.09.14 Italian Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Felipe Massa achieved his first podium for WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING as Valtteri Bottas finished in fourth position in today’s Italian Grand Prix.
• Felipe was up to third after the first lap, with a Mercedes and McLaren in front, whilst Valtteri suffered from wheel spin and slipped to 11th.
• Valtteri fought hard through the field both before and after his pitstop, whilst Felipe established himself in third.
• The result takes WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING into third in the Constructors’ Championship moving ahead of Ferrari.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: We finished where we should have done, although we did make it a bit more spectacular than we needed to. We had some issues with the starts which isn’t normal, so this needs to be investigated. Valtteri drove an incredible race to recover from 11th whilst managing his tyres. Felipe had an incredible race too, using all his experience including a great overtaking manoeuvre on Magnussen to secure a fantastic result. It was great to see the fans reception for him as well.

Felipe Massa: It was a fantastic race for me so I am really happy. I had a good start and passed Magnussen at just the right time. I had to work hard to establish that position, sadly the Mercedes were still a bit quick, so we did the best we could. Monza is a special podium, and to hear the fans sing my name was amazing.

Valtteri Bottas: I had a few issues at the start which really effected how my race went. Once the tyres were up to temperature I had a lot of work to do. It was good fun to overtake so many people and we had some good pace as well. As a team we had a really good day and it was good to overtake Ferrari. I’m pleased to see Felipe get his first podium of the season, hopefully we can be up there together soon.

07.09.14 Williams Announces Driver Line Up for the 2015 Season

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING is pleased to announce that it will be retaining the services of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas as the teams’ Race Drivers for the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

Felipe joined WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING for the start of the 2014 season and secured the team’s first pole position since 2012 at the Austrian Grand Prix. A proven race winner with 11 wins and 36 podiums to his name, Felipe competed in his 200th Grand Prix at Silverstone in July and next year will be his 14th season in Formula One. Valtteri Bottas joined Williams in 2010 as a Test Driver and graduated to a race seat in 2013. He has secured four podium finishes so far this season and has matured into one of the sport’s most promising young talents, currently sitting fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.

Both drivers have proved crucial in the strong development of the Williams Mercedes FW36 and the team is confident that in Felipe and Valtteri it has one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid. Williams will be announcing its test and development driver roles for 2015 in due course.

Speaking about the announcement Felipe Massa said; “I’m really enjoying my time at WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING and I feel settled here. Williams is such an iconic name in motor racing and I have a lot of pride when racing for this team. This season we have started to show our true potential and I’m driving a car that is looking strong and has improved a lot as the season has progressed which is very encouraging for the future. It’s important that we continue to push in the second half of the season and that we start 2015 with some really good momentum that we can build on.”

Valtteri Bottas added; “I’ve been a member of the Williams team for five years now and we have developed together throughout that time which is a great feeling. The team has also made some very impressive gains this season and I’m confident that I’m at a team that is moving in the right direction and can continue to be competitive. Sir Frank and Claire have put a lot of faith in me and I’m very grateful that they continue to do so. Felipe and I have a good working relationship and this early announcement will help us both input into the ongoing development of the FW36 and the FW37.”

Commenting on the team’s 2015 driver pairing Sir Frank Williams, Founder and Team Principal, said; “I’m delighted to confirm that Felipe and Valtteri will be racing for Williams once again in 2015. Felipe is a pleasure to work with and combines raw pace with a wealth of experience. We have known for many years that Valtteri is a very special talent and in the FW36 we have given him a car that is allowing him to demonstrate his skills. The team is having a much improved 2014 season and the skill of our drivers and their feedback to our engineers has proved crucial in this. This announcement gives us excellent stability for 2015, but of course we are very much focusing our attention on maximising the full potential of the FW36 in the remaining seven races of this season.”

7.07.14 Hungarian Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Felipe Massa finished fifth and Valtteri Bottas eighth as WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING scored points with both cars in an eventful Hungarian Grand Prix.
• Felipe put in a strong performance in changeable conditions to end his run of bad luck with a solid points finish.
• Valtteri ran second in the early stages but was delayed by traffic during his first pit stop, eventually challenging Vettel for seventh in the closing laps.
• WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING heads into Formula 1's summer break fourth in the constructors championship with 135 points.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: We've been used to racing for podiums lately, so today was a bit different. The pace of the car wasn't fantastic, which we can accept on a tight and twisty track like this. We did what we could, we got two cars home in the points and pulled away from McLaren and Force India in the championship. We're happy with fourth in the Constructors' going into the break and we've got some good races coming up, so we will come back eager for more podiums at Spa and Monza.

Felipe Massa: It was a very difficult race with a lot happening. We had many fights and it was difficult to stay on the track. We took some risks with the tyres in the pitstops and in the end it was a good result. Now we can look forward to the second part of the season and I'm sure we will score a lot more points than we've scored up until now.

Valtteri Bottas: After three podiums in a row P8 is not that satisying, but we got some good points as a team. There was more to come today but we were unlucky with the safety car when I went from P2 to out of the top 10. We need to analyse this race then focus on the next one. There are many more good moments for us to come this season, we are getting stronger.

20.07.14 German Grand Prix Race

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas achieved his third consecutive podium and the team's 300th podium at the German GP today.
• Felipe Massa's race unfortunately ended early after he was involved in a first corner incident.
• Valtteri chased the quicker Mercedes of Rosberg during the early stages, managing his tyres well whilst increasing the gap to the cars behind.
• In the closing laps Valtteri worked hard to keep Lewis Hamilton behind to finish second, moving the team up to third in the Constructors' Championship ahead of Ferrari.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: We have only one car home today, so we are not as happy as we could be. However, Valtteri did a fantastic job and the guys on the pitwall were exceptional. We kept calm and did what we needed to do. Our strategy at times was different to others, but we kept our confidence and Valtteri pushed when we needed him to. We have overtaken Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship which is the reward for our continuing improvements. We just need that bad luck for Felipe to stop as our aim now is to get both cars on the podium.

Felipe Massa: Luckily I am ok but I am not happy. I was in front going into the corner, and so to have another race ended by another driver is not easy. I am doing my best, the team are doing their best, and we just aren't getting the chances we need. Going into the first corner I was near to Valtteri but had to back off to stop an accident, sadly some others didn't do the same. I am obviously very disappointed. Well done to Valtteri, it shows we have the car to get on the podium.

Valtteri Bottas: I am really happy with the way the race went today. As a team we have been unlucky not to have both drivers on the podium as we had the pace. To keep a Mercedes behind at the end of the race was promising showing that it is possible, and the car is very strong. The engineers shared a lot of information with me about the tyres and where Hamilton was and that team work was the key to the good result.

Williams F1 Race News

24.08.14 Belgian Grand Prix

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas finished third and Felipe Massa thirteenth in the Belgian Grand Prix, with Valtteri picking up his fourth podium of the season.
• Valtteri managed his tyres well and showed strong pace throughout the race to make a two-stop strategy work and make up three places in total to finish on the podium.
• Felipe’s race was hindered by debris that was lodged in his car at the beginning of the race that affected the car’s aerodynamic performance and impacted his pace.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance:Valtteri had a brilliant result today, putting in a really mature drive and passing cars when he needed to thanks to the impressive chassis and power unit package. The strategy worked perfectly for us as well; we stuck to our plan and this paid dividends. Felipe was incredibly unlucky, picking up a large amount of debris from Hamilton’s tyre that stayed under his car for 20 laps and probably cost him about 40 seconds in total with his compromised pace and strategy. As we are continuing to do, we need to improve our operations. This has not been a straight forward weekend so to finish with a car on the podium is a decent result and we look forward to Monza.

Felipe Massa: Unfortunately at the beginning of the race I had some tyre debris stuck in the floor that came from Hamilton’s car and this made the car very slow, losing about two seconds per lap. This wasn’t removed until my second pitstop and after that I was nearly three seconds quicker and the fastest car on track, but at this point it was too late for me to really do anything. Obviously I’m very disappointed that something like this has hurt my race and I just hope that in Monza my luck will change and I am able to put the car in the sort of position it is capable of.

Valtteri Bottas: Our pace was solid today and a lot better than in qualifying, with some good battles with the Ferrari’s and Red Bull’s, and I think third was probably the right result. I was stuck behind slower cars at the beginning which made the first stint difficult, but I managed to make my way past cars when it was needed and that was important for my race. We came into this race aiming for a podium and it is very satisfying to achieve that after an up and down weekend with tricky weather and Felipe being very unlucky today with debris.

7.07.14 Hungarian Grand Prix

20.07.14 German Grand Prix Race

06.07.14 British Grand Prix Race

Race Notes:
• Valtteri Bottas achieved his best ever race result and a second consecutive podium in an eventful British Grand Prix today.
• Felipe Massa was forced to retire after getting caught in a multi-car accident at the start that red flagged the race for nearly an hour.
• After initially moving from 14th to ninth before the restart, Valtteri continued to make great progress with a brilliant drive through the field into an eventual second position.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: It's a slightly mixed weekend. It's a great result for Valtteri and he showed incredible race craft throughout the whole race. You couldn't ask for anything more from the driver; he changed his race around with those overtakes in the first stint. It's really disappointing for Felipe as we clearly have a great car and could have had a double podium, but he will rebuild and has the support to bounce back. Everybody is pushing and everybody is motivated in the team, and as a result we are moving forward and that is the main aim. I am really proud of everything that we have done and a big thank you to everyone at the team here and in Grove for all the hard work.

Felipe Massa: It has been a really difficult weekend. It was a bad start but after that I could catch up everyone and pass cars in the first few corners. The car felt great. Then there was the accident. Kimi came across the track and I never really had a chance to miss him, and sadly the damage was too much to continue. Luckily I turned as it could have been a worse accident. I hope Kimi is ok but it's a weekend to forget for me personally; not the 200th Grand Prix I had planned.

Valtteri Bottas: We knew that this race would be good fun. We knew we had a quick car and maybe it surprised us it was so quick. The first stint we went through the field fast and that needed a bit of risk. I am so happy for the team, they have worked on race pace and it shows. We were thinking about points today not the podium, and the strategy guys did a great job. I really felt for Felipe today in his 200th race, and it was so nice of him to come to the podium with the team; I really appreciated that. We are a stronger team than we were in the first few races and it won't be easy to stay near the top but we are doing a great job of it at the moment.

22.06.14 Austrian Grand Prix Race

Race Notes:
Valtteri Bottas achieved his first ever Formula One podium with Felipe Massa finishing fourth after a competitive race in Austria. Felipe led from Valtteri at the end of the first lap and maintained a gap to the chasing Mercedes until the first round of pitstops. Both Mercedes were able to get ahead of the Williams during the pitstops but the team did a great job with Valtteri recording the quickest stop of the race. The team scored a valuable 27 points moving Williams up to fifth in the Constructors' Championship ahead of its home race at Silverstone.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: I believe we got everything out of today that we could have done. It was a difficult race in terms of managing brakes, systems on the car and tyres, and that dictated what we could do with strategy. The two car crews did a great job to manage tyres and get us to the end of the race and both drivers drove a sensible race. Considering where the team was 12 months ago, to where we are today, everyone should be very proud of this result and enjoy this moment. Securing 27 points is a great result today.

Felipe Massa: I am very happy for Valtteri, he did a great job. We had a good fight with the Mercedes but it was clear we were never going to win. I had to manage my tyres the whole race and also struggled with traffic. To stop first and come back out fourth is a bit disappointing but that's racing. It was a positive weekend for the whole team and an emotional one as well. The main thing is that we got 27 points which means we move up in the Constructors' Championship. We have progressed a lot but there still work to do to close the gap to Mercedes.

Valtteri Bottas: It's difficult to explain how I feel right now. That was the best champagne I've ever tasted. All the hard work that the team puts in shows in moments like this. I had one pitstop that really put in me in the fight and that changed my race, so well done to the boys for that. I had put in a good lap before that and so I got in front on Felipe and from there I could manage my pace with the cars in front. Having both cars score good points is what we wanted and so third and fourth for the team is a great result. There are still two places to go up the podium, but for now we will enjoy this moment.

06.04.14 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Notes

Felipe Massa finished seventh and Valtteri Bottas eighth in the first night race to be held in Bahrain, bringing home another 10 points for the team. Felipe made a great start to fight his way into third whilst Valtteri suffered wheelspin at the start and dropped from third position to fifth. With the fight on for third, Felipe and Valtteri withheld pressure from behind. An unfortunately timed safety car dropped both drivers back behind the two Force Indias, both Red Bulls and Jenson Button's McLaren. Both cars were racing hard on fresher tyres in the closing stages and were quicker than Vettel, but were unable to pass.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: Overall I am extremely happy. We finished the weekend with both cars in the points, and good points too. To start in third and finish in eighth for Valtteri is a bit frustrating, but that's racing and we have to accept that. There are many positives still to take, one thing we do need is a little bit more race pace. The team worked very well together from strategy to pitstops, the change over the last twelve months has been very encouraging. There is still a lot of work to do but I'm very impressed with the quality of people here.

Felipe Massa: The start was fantastic, I did everything right and I had good grip and it all went well. We were in a good position and fighting but sadly the tyre degradation was worse than we expected. The safety car didn't help the strategy as I think we should have been up with the Force Indias rather than behind the Red Bulls so that is a shame. Other than that it was a good race, with some good battles and to finish with both cars in the points is really positive.

Valtteri Bottas: After a poor start our race strategy was compromised. I had too much wheelspin and that lost me a few positions which is frustrating. We had issues with the tyres that were worse than expected but on a positive note we got some good points from both cars. We always want more though, so we will continue to work hard and look forward to the next race.

08.06.14 Canadian GP Race

Race Notes:
. Valtteri Bottas finished seventh, while Felipe Massa retired on the last lap.
. Both cars ran in the top five early on, challenging for the podium places.
. Valtteri suffered with high brake and engine temperatures, preventing him finishing higher than seventh.
. Felipe was attacking Perez for fourth on the final lap when Perez crashed into him.
. Felipe was taken to hospital for precautionary checks, the results of which were entirely positive and he has therefore been discharged.

Rob Smedley, Head of Vehicle Performance: It's massively disappointing to lose that position with Felipe at the end. It looked like he was going to get past Perez and they've had a collision. Valtteri's race was going well but we were a little bit hot, having to manage engine and brake temperatures, as a lot of other cars were. That dropped him to ninth, which was recovered to seventh with Felipe's accident. In free air the car was very quick, but we've lost a lot of points that we should have picked up today.

Felipe Massa: Not our day really. The beginning of the race was ok but Red Bull was a little bit stronger than expected, so we were looking to fight for fourth position. We need to look back at the second pitstop in terms of timing and the stop because I didn't come back out where I should have. I was then in traffic, stuck behind the Force India, which overheated the engine and brakes, and I had to save everything to get to the flag.

Valtteri Bottas: I was one of the quickest guys on the track, so we lost many points today. I'm happy that I'm here with no problems but I'm so disappointed for what happened with Perez, and also for the pitstop because I think maybe we could even have fought for victory today. But it shows we have a good car and I'm convinced the next race will be better.

06.04.14 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Notes

Williams Unveils FW36 with new Martini Livery

The new WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING car livery was officially unveiled today at an event in London to launch the new partnership with MARTINI®, with the cars’ iconic MARTINI stripes marking a new era for the team and a return to Formula One™ for one of motorsport’s most historic brands.

In addition to today’s news, Williams has undergone some significant changes over the winter in preparation for the 2014 season. WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has a new driver-up with Felipe Massa joining Valtteri Bottas, supported by new Test and Reserve Driver Felipe Nasr and Development Driver Susie Wolff. The team has a new engine partner in Mercedes HPP and has recruited a number of senior engineering personnel to augment existing talent. Commercially, the winter has delivered a number of new partners which affords financial stability to invest and grow. Today is the culmination of these changes with the official launch of WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING.

The new look WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING team will take to the track for the first time at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia next week in what is set to be one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory following a number of key regulation changes.

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