Tough moment unites Williams – Sirotkin

Sergey Sirotkin says the difficult start to the 2018 Formula 1 world championship Williams is enduring will make the team stronger when it can turn around its fortunes.

The F1 rookie, along with teammate Lance Stroll, have both made no secret about the Grove-based team’s struggles with the FW41 which have been put down to corner entry and stability issues.

The problems have been clear since the opening pre-season F1 test at Circuit de Catalunya and while Williams has made inroads, evident with Stroll charging to eighth place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the team is clear it won’t be satisfied until it can re-join the front of the midfield fight.

Sirotkin, who has an engineering degree having studied during his junior racing career on his way up to F1, feels there are some positives being produced from Williams’s struggles as the team is forming tight bonds after a recent major overhaul of key personnel including both himself, reserve and third driver Robert Kubica and Paddy Lowe as technical chief.

“It is a tough moment for us but to be honest, of course I am not enjoying the struggle with pace and performance, but I am enjoying that it’s given us a strong challenge,” Sirotkin said. “At the moment the way we are working is very good and we have a very good spirit and have a clear and obvious task ahead of us.

“The way we are all trying to solve it this has really united the people and I am really enjoying being at the factory, staying with the team, fighting every single day to solve the problem and I really feel I am part of it and I can really play my role in it. I am enjoying that feeling.

“Yes, it is not that nice not to be the quickest car but I am very confident that we will get over it one day and that day I will be very proud that we got past it by staying united and worked harder than anyone else.”

Sirotkin, who will have to serve a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix after his clash with Force India’s Sergio Perez, has a notched up a pair of 15^th place finishes alongside two DNFs from his opening four F1 races.