It’s a way of justifying some of the decisions and sacrifices it is making as team boss James Vowles looks at the organisation’s broader health.
That is a noble cause, and there are few who would object to a more competitive Williams team.
It’s a painful process to get there, and that can be seen this year.
Williams sits ninth with just four points to its name after 14 rounds, a way down on where it was a year ago.
Last year’s car was a legacy of the previous management, team principal Jost Capito and technical director FX Demaison.
This year’s car is the first to truly be developed under Vowles’ leadership, with its performance in line with the boss’s stated position: backwards before forwards.
It was a bruising start to the year with a string of costly crashes that saw Logan Sargeant miss the Australian Grand Prix.
Williams was one of a handful of teams without a spare tub ready for the opening rounds, but it was the only to pay the price.
Whatever the justification, it is inexcusable for a team not to be in a position to field two cars on the grid – it is its sole reason for existence.
That has to be a very large black mark against the team and its preparation, perhaps with the qualifier of the behind-the-scenes changes that are being made to bring it back up to speed.
Still, it was a high-profile faux pas but full marks to the team and Vowles for fronting the media and owning the failure.
That incident also showed the team had little faith in Sargeant, with his future under serious doubt for much of the opening half of the year.
Alex Albon was the one who crashed but it was his young American team-mate who paid the price by sitting the race out.
That’s not an easy pill to swallow, or call to make, so it is again to Vowles’ credit that he was prepared to make that tough decision in the interests of the team.
Sargeant is one of three drivers yet to score points this season – the American has only one points-paying finish to his name, and that relied on two cars ahead of him being excluded.
Speculation was rife that he would be benched following the Canadian Grand Prix, potentially in favour of Mick Schumacher or even Kimi Antonelli.
That hasn’t been the case and it’s almost certain he’ll now see out the year, Williams continuing 2024 with only on real dog in the fight.
It’s task in the backend of the season won’t be easy.
Aston Martin has found something, so too Alpine, while on its day RB is also a mighty competitor and Haas is always there ready to pick up any pieces that fall its way.
Given the top four teams typically occupy the first eight places, it leaves the remaining six operations duking it out for just three points.
In the crush against that midfield pack, it’s difficult to see many more opportunities for Williams, which will have to become inventive or benefit from others misfortune (or circumstance).
Given the seven-point deficit to Alpine, perhaps eighth in the constructors’ title is in reach, but it would need something special to chase down the likes of Haas or RB above that.
Discussion about this post