Williams “hopeful” of fighting Ferrari in speed

The team’s head of automotive performance, Dave Robson, talked about Williams modified into encouraged after Ferrari looked as if it could possibly well maybe present off miserable produce in the midst of the lengthy runs in FP2.

Ferrari had both of its autos knocked out in Q2 for the first time in 2020 in the midst of qualifying at Spa on Saturday, while Russell reached the center section of qualifying for a fifth time this season, ending up 0.207s at the assist of Vettel in P15.

The Italian team modified into calculated to enjoy the slowest average on the medium tyre lengthy runs in FP2, two areas and 0.22s per lap slower than Williams (despite the undeniable fact that Ferrari modified into 0.324s sooner on the un-favoured softs in phrases of speed rubber).

“Indubitably coming here we positively didn’t query to be fighting with Ferrari,” Robson talked about when asked by Motorsport.com if Williams had knowing it’d be fighting the Scuderia in qualifying and if it now felt it’ll warfare the team in the speed at Spa.

“It did see treasure they enjoy been struggling a runt the day gone by, along with I judge certain we enjoy been a runt stunned. As for fighting them the next day, I’m hopeful, in actuality.

“Why no longer? They didn’t see particularly particular on excessive fuel on Friday. So optimistically we are able to preserve with them and battle with them.

“[I] produce no longer judge their stop of hetero tempo is particularly perfect both – a runt treasure ours. We will positively be trying.”

Russell well-known the data he had made it by way of to Q2 while exclaiming “I modified into no longer searching forward to that – especially after P3” over his team radio.

Robson talked about his driver modified into “a runt more stunned than I believed he would [be]”.

“He modified into frustrated popping out of FP3 when his final lumber modified into a runt compromised in quite rather a lot of traffic, which I judge frustrated him – and one more 10 or 12 drivers,” Robson added.

“So I judge it modified into likely a runt of relief, however he attach in a if truth be told perfect lap.

“The engineers did an even job of getting him out at an even time so he could possibly well prepare the tyres as he wished and I judge every little thing correct form got here collectively really.

“The coolest component modified into the lap in Q2 modified into glorious indispensable as perfect, so I produce no longer judge it modified into correct form a one-off [and] every little thing coming collectively in a lucky way.

“The whole lot got here collectively due to the it being well-managed, better than it modified into at the tip of FP3 [where Russell finished 18th].”

Robson also explained that Russell deserted his first lumber in Q2 due to the a mixture of a components, with the Briton then going on to purpose a only time in Q2 of 1m43.468s – an development of 0.162s when in contrast to his time to interrupt out Q1.

That lap temporarily attach him sooner than the 2 Ferrari drivers at the tip of Q2, before they improved to take P13 and P14 on the grid.

“It modified into a scrubbed purpose of tyres [Russell used on his first Q2 run], so we knew it modified into going to be a warfare and we would taken a runt bit of engine mode out because it modified into scrubbed tyres,” Robson talked about.

“And then I judge he got caught by a gust of wind at Flip 5 at the tip of the Kemmel straight, so he knew he modified into down and he opted correct form to set the automotive and affords us a runt more time in the storage for the final lumber, which modified into the individual that would depend.”