Paddy Lowe Tag

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Williams title sponsor Martini will end its association with the team and Formula One at the end of the 2018 season according to a Team Principal Claire Williams, who confirmed the news today from the pit lane in Barcelona. Martini made its much celebrated return to Formula One with the British team in 2014 and since then they have enjoyed massive returns on their investment, and helped create one of the best liveries in recent history. It was the first time Martini’s iconic stripes had been seenRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Williams became the second Formula One team to showcase images of its 2018 car, with the launching of the FW41. The newest challenger has substantial changes to the 2017 version – FW40 – with updated sidepods, barge board and sleeker engine cover. Overall, the new aerodynamic focus is one that brings hope to challenge the likes of Force India and Red Bull Racing in the constructor’s standings, having finished fifth last season. The full team release can be seen below. — WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has revealedRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer He may not have won the second seat at Williams Martini Racing, but Robert Kubica will still be behind the wheel for the team in 2018. Williams announced Tuesday the addition of Kubica as a reserve and development driver, signaling that the Pole will participate with the team in testing sessions – including the upcoming Barcelona pre-season testing – as well as occasional practice sessions during race weekends. “I am delighted to announce that Robert will be joining Williams as our Reserve and Development DriverRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After two seasons with regular podiums, Williams Martini Racing slipped behind Force India last year for a disappointing fifth in the Constructor’s standings. A turbulent off season saw them lose Valtteri Bottas to Mercedes after Nico Rosberg’s surprise retirement. This caused an awkward exchange when the team immediately called veteran Felipe Massa out of retirement. The affable Brazilian agreed and he leads Williams for at least one more season. He is joined by Canadian rookie Lance Stroll, who won blitzed last year’s European F3 Championship andRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After Paddy Lowe’s shocking departure for Williams, Mercedes AMG Petronas has confirmed highly rated ex-Ferrari and Renault man James Allison will take the helm of technical director for the Silver Arrows. Allison brings a breadth of experience and is known as one of F1’s foremost experts on aerodynamics, something the 2017 regulations have put back in the spotlight. He worked at Benetton, Larrouusse, Ferrari during the Schumacher years, Renault during the Alonso years, Lotus during their brief resurgence with Raikkonen, and then Ferrari for the lastRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Mercedes released a statement today confirming the widely held belief that their technical chief Paddy Lowe is leaving the team he helped steer to three consecutive championships. As we first reported one month ago, Lowe is bound for Williams, but contractual and financial negotiations have been complicated by Valtteri Bottas’ talks with Mercedes over Nico Rosberg’s vacated seat, and Felipe Massa’s potential return to the Grove based squad. Such news formally coming to light indicates that some manner of solution has been found at the crowded negotiation tableRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Mercedes technical director Paddy Lowe is on the verge of a shock move to Williams Martini Racing for 2017. Negotiations between Lowe and Williams have been rumored for some time, but a deal has not yet been announced. Lowe would replace Williams current technical director Pat Symonds who is ready for retirement after a career of much success and scandal, most notably crashgate in 2008, which crucially hurt recently retired Williams driver Felipe Massa’s championship bid that year. If Lowe goes he will be the second leadingRead More

Nico Rosberg was crowned 2016 Formula One World Champion as he finished second behind team-mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel was third for Ferrari. Hamilton took the win he needed in the race but despite a hugely tense finish in which the leading Mercedes drivers were hunted down Sebastian Vettel, Rosberg clung on to second to win the title by just five points. Both Hamilton and Rosberg got away well at the start and the pair slotted into first and secondRead More