williams-fw33

F1 2011 Season Preview: The Drivers and Teams

Williams-Cosworth
#11 Rubens Barrichello
#12 Pastor Maldonado

What happens when big sponsors like Phillips, RBS and Green Flag leave the team? You hire a pay driver. While he is the defending GP2 champion, Pastor Maldonado got his ride with Williams largely due to bringing a rumoured $36 million per year sponsor in Venezuelan petroleum company PDVSA. Rubens Barrichello retains his seat as team leader and mentor to the rookie Maldonado. Williams said they were bringing a fairly aggressively designed car into 2011. They’ve produced the smallest gearbox seen on a Williams F1 car and a small differential as well. The idea is that it improves the effectiveness of the rear wing and diffuser to increase downforce. Maximizing downforce is generally the name of the game in F1. While Williams hasn’t been the fastest during testing, they definitely have a good chance at scoring some podiums this season. However, I think there’s a substantial talent gap between Barrichello and Maldonado.

Teams