Williams: First finish of 2011 but no points

2011 Chinese GP team review

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The two FW33s saw the chequered flag but were almost half a minute outside the points.

Rubens BarrichelloPastor Maldonado
Qualifying position1517
Qualifying time comparison (Q2)1’36.465 (-0.491)1’36.956
Race position1318
Laps56/5655/56
Pit stops23

Williams drivers’ lap times throughout the race:

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2011drivercolours.csv

1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556
Rubens Barrichello115.259107.035105.837107.628105.598105.778105.709107.515106.939106.166105.462105.947105.167105.962106.861111.418122.447103.996103.945104.511103.553103.724103.648104.185104.125103.744104.066104.749104.221104.191104.467103.974104.654105.024110.154121.772103.718103.419103.315103.581103.028102.772102.421102.253102.031102.576103.004102.93103.577103.328103.639104.127103.961104.53105.46105.314
Pastor Maldonado116.942107.149106.42106.252106.904105.92106.748108.051109.351114.571124.368103.874104.351105.057104.194104.174104.252104.329104.479104.496104.654104.382105.26105.476110.498121.529103.123103.203103.341103.119103.225103.171103.986104.433104.622104.944105.045105.712105.839111.506129.253102.124102.661103.307102.084101.702101.802102.214104.755102.869103.039103.187104.175104.162104.079
Rubens Barrichello, Williams, Shanghai, 2011

Rubens Barrichello

Barrichello tested a revised exhaust in practice, but it wasn’t used for the rest of the weekend.

Sam Michael said: “We saw some quite positive signs during the traction phase, but unfortunately we had some reliability issues with parts of the floor burning and subsequently causing degradation of aero performance.”

With the original parts back on his car Barrichello qualified 15th and pitted twice on his way to 13th in a low-key race.

Rubens Barrichello 2011 form guide

Pastor Maldonado

Spun in first practice and was left waiting a long time to be recovered.

Qualified 17th and ran an almost symmetrical three-stop strategy, using hard tyres for the last two stints.

He ended the race 18th having fallen eight seconds behind Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus.

Pastor Maldonado 2011 form guide

2011 Chinese Grand Prix

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    27 comments on “Williams: First finish of 2011 but no points”

    1. For a GP2 champion, I’m not really overwhelmed by Pastor Maldonado. In fact, I’m barely even whelmed at all. He hasn’t done anything positive of note, having been the first of the regular runners eliminated in Australia, the first retirement of the season and now the first car to finish behind one of the Class of 2010.

      But at the same time, Williams are doing an incredible job of making Rubens Barrichello look silly. All these promises of aggressive designs have finally produced an actual aggressive car, and Williams still manage to go into freefall. It makes me want to punch Sam Michael, but I think stock prices are going to do that for me.

      1. Maldonado is the worst of the rookies by far and Rubens makes himself look silly. The car is rubbish and so are the drivers. This season is likely a wash for Williams. I hope they bring in some new blood in a lot of areas next season, especially behind the wheel.

      2. Williams are doing an incredible job of making Rubens Barrichello look silly.

        Rubens doesn’t need any help from Williams… he is perfectly capable of doing it all by himself.

        1. I think that’s the most wrong statement you’ve ever said, And you’ve said a few.

          Rubens time and time again proves people wrong, this season will be no different.

          1. Maybe he will, but three races in and it looks like one season too many.

            He has nothing to prove and now Williams are the slowest of the midfield runners he isn’t in a position to compete for points. Rubens is driving for the sake of it.

            At this point I’d much prefer to see Hulkenberg in that Williams instead.

          2. He’s always been the most average driver on the grid. Don’t see that changing any time soon. The only way I can explain the love for him is cause people feel bad he was Schumi’s numero 2

          3. I don’t think it’s Rubens’ fault my friend…Don’t forget that he’s the real champion with Brawn team, not Button!

            1. The real champion with the Brawn team was the double diffuser.

      3. I’ve not been overly impressed but Hulkenberg wasn’t doing much different at this time last season either. Admittedly he was taken out (not his fault) but I’m pretty sure Maldonano has suffered in that way too

    2. He ended the race 18th having fallen eight seconds behind Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus.

      This is really too much.

      1. Meh. Taking into consideration he ran on primes for about half of the race and even Red Bulls struggled on harder tire – it wasn’t so bad. Better strategy and Lotus would only smell Maldonado’s fumes.

        By the way, I love the propaganda of success from Team Lotus. They officially declared joining midfield because Heikki ended in front of bad-strategy driven Maldonado and Perez with penalties. Ridiculous.

        1. lol, I ignore everything that comes from that team except for what Heikki and Jarno say since they show the most class in that entire organization.

          1. Mr.Fernandes is a little positive publicity machince. Trying to make them look better than they are, providing false promises, etc. They aren’t midfield competitors as yet.. although Heikki is doing a great job for them.

            1. He’s running a business, he’ll do everything he can for it to run successfully. The whole idea of using the name Lotus, plugging AirAsia …saying all these kinds of things, it’s all about business. Granted, pretty much everyone is there in a business sense, but for Team Lotus it’s more than anyone else on the grid.

          2. They beat a Williams, Williams is a mid field team… They joined the mid field. Logic huh? go figure.

            I agree they aren’t real mid fielders, and it’s more of a reflection of Pastor doing badly. But… Well… They are right I think. Technically.

            C’mon, support the smaller teams. It’ll feel good.

      2. I presumed Maldonado must have lost a front wing or something to put him behind a Lotus, but it seems that things really are that bad for Williams.

      3. It is. It’s embarrassing for them.

    3. If you ask me Pastor needs to be given more time to improve, same for the car. I still believe they can do a Sauber 2010 and become regular point scorers towards the second half of the season.

      1. whilst i do agree about giving a newbie time (petrov is an example) they can come good. But Pastor is being shown up by di Resta and Perez so far, and D’Ambrosio isnt doing badly in a bad car.

        I am really trying to reserve my judgement on him till the European races get going.

        1. Yea, we shouldn’t be too hard on him. Petrov is having a better 2011 and is in a considerably better vehicle. If Maldonado can get some performance out of that car then he is definitely a driver to cling on to, for any team.

          1. Sound_Of_Madness
            19th April 2011, 23:26

            Maybe, but Petrov had shown flashes of promise in 2010.

    4. Why did they do 2 stints on prime? Did he flat spot a set of softs in quali or something? I can’t believe they would compromise him like that unless he had wrecked the other tires…

    5. It wasn’t nice seeing Barrichello lose those places, but at least he isn’t trying to make the car out to be better than it is.

      1. That said, he had a go about Petrov in Q2! What was that all about? Just frustration i’m sure.

    6. cristoacevedo
      19th April 2011, 1:36

      I don’t know if I’m right…. but i think that sam michael is major responsible that things are getting worst.

      At least, i think that Williams need a change on people who work there, starting with Michael….and maybe Parr

      SAM …I DON’T WANT YOU haha pls quit.

      PS: a few weeks ago, parr said that Maldonado wasn’t a pay-driver. Come on!! Williams’ fan aren’t idiots

    7. Sigh. Sad days for Williams again now the season is underway. I hope it is more than appeasing to the shareholders etc. that they are now looking at restructuring the team, they have had problems executing well for a lot of years now. I think the car has some promise and new ideas this year, and the drivers aren’t that bad; but somehow they don’t manage to put things together, not in the least the strategy very rarely working out.

    8. Am I the only person who thinks Maldonado is doing well? He’s closer to Barrichello’s pace than Hulkenberg was at this time last year.

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