Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams believes the team could realistically challenge for places in Q2 during 2020.

[f1tv2020testa]The team failed to progress beyond Q1 at every round last year, and at times were up to one second per lap off the pace of the next-slowest car.

However 12 months on from their embarrassing failure to complete their car in time for the start of testing they have made an better start to 2020. The new FW43 was running as soon as the first test began on Wednesday.

“I have a smile on my face,” said Williams in response to a question from RaceFans. “It hasn’t come off since Wednesday morning.

“Obviously after the dramas as of last year, it was great to see the car go out first on Wednesday morning. A huge amount of effort had obviously gone into achieving that.

“But as we said in the press release on Wednesday, getting your car out first doesn’t win you any prizes. I think for us, it was just another milestone on our journey to recovery. And it was important, I think, for us to return a little bit of pride and dignity to the team after last year.”

Last year the team’s drivers Robert Kubica and George Russell seldom got on terms with drivers from rival teams. Williams said her goal for this year is for Williams to be competitive with other teams again.

“We’re here in Formula 1 to go racing,” she said. “That’s why Williams exists, we’re not here to do anything else. We’re here because we love racing. And last year, we just weren’t racing. Robert and George were racing each other.

“We want to be coming to each and every race being able to fight for I think probably realistically a Q2 position and then to fight for a position in the race that kind of brings our pride back, I suppose. And that George and Nicholas [Latifi] have the opportunity to fight to with the midfield competitors.”

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2020 F1 season