Williams has discovered a “fundamental problem” with the design of its FW42 but won’t be able to fix it for several months, according to George Russell.

While the car lacks downforce compared to its rivals, Russell indicated the team has also discovered a specific problem it needs to address.

“There is one fundamental [problem] which I don’t want to discuss publicly. We understand what that is but it doesn’t mean that we can wake up on Monday morning and rectify it.

“To change something so fundamental will take months of development and work in the simulator, the designers working out how to do it. But that’s what needs to be done at the moment and unfortunately we’re looking at a number of races before we’re going to be able to fight.”

Russell qualified 1.3 seconds behind the next-slowest car on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix. He believes that when the problem is fixed Williams will move significantly closer to its rivals.

“I think once we’ve solved that fundamental [problem] there’ll be a big leap. We’ll probably still be at the back of the grid but with a chance to fight rather than at the moment we don’t really have any hope because we’re too far behind.”

[mpuzweeler01]However team mate Robert Kubica was cautious about how quickly the teams’ fortunes could be transformed.

“I don’t want to put numbers because last year I think we knew even earlier what was [the] fundamental problem of the car and for the whole year it stayed more or less the same.”

Kubica said the team is “all in line with feelings, with where we have to work [on the car].

“But probably because I’m more experienced I will never say it will take two or three months. I think for now no one knows. I hope it will take only two or three months but I cannot say, I don’t know.”

Williams deputy principal Claire Williams admitted today the team has started the season even further off the pace than it expected to.

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2019 F1 season