“We won’t be doing any testing in Abu Dhabi”: Williams are already set for a slow start to 2022 as the team confirms that they will be missing the post season testing

Williams F1 team confirm that they do not have the available resources to participate in the 2021 end of season testing in Abu Dhabi. 

Formula 1 will be entering a new era from the 2022 season. Massive regulation changes are in store, with changes to tires and aerodynamics being key.

All F1 teams are due to take part in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi later this year. The objective of the test is to try the new Pirelli 18 inch tires on mule cars. The rest of the nine teams other than Williams will be taking part in this.

Dave Robson, the Vehicle Performance head of the team, said they do not have the resources to carry the test out. Without the mule car, there is no point in taking part in this, according to Robson.

“My understanding is that if you don’t have the mule car, you are not entitled to do the test, so we won’t be there.” he added.

Also read: “We want to be world champion again”– Williams has bigger dreams than finishing eighth in the championship

Williams doesn’t expect this to affect them much once the races start

“We’ve not done any exercise to put numbers on it. “We know that the mule car would have been beneficial. But at the time we had to commit to that, we just didn’t have the resource to do it,” said Robson.

“So it’s a decision that was made an awfully long time ago. I’m not complaining about it. “What will we ultimately lose? We start the winter testing a little bit on the back foot, probably. I will hope if the car is running well, then after we’ve done the tests that we can catch up quickly.”

“We would like to be at the test. However, we are not. So I think ultimately we won’t be that far behind. You know, once the races start.”, Robson concluded.

Williams is a historic name in Formula 1. For the last few years, the team from Oxfordshire have been struggling at the wrong end of the standings. After making visible progress this season, it seems as if they are set for another setback before the 2022 season begins.