Williams needs to develop at "double or triple" rivals' rate

Williams’s drivers Russell and Robert Kubica have qualified and finished at the back of the pack so far in every race this season, well adrift of the other nine teams. 

The Grove-based team's slow 2019 car, which was late to testing, is reportedly more stable than its troublesome predecessor but lacks overall performance. 

“From my side, driving the car, I’m trying to direct the team in the right place,” said Russell. “Now I just have to believe in the team to do their thing: the designers, the aerodynamicists, to go out and try to achieve something. 

“Everybody’s working as fast as they can to try to improve. In F1, everybody improves. We’ve not only got to improve but we’ve got to improve at double or triple the rate of everyone else, which in reality is extremely difficult. 

“We’ve got to stay positive but we’ve also got to be realistic. We can’t be aiming for much more than we’re achieving at the moment. 

“In F1 everybody is developing and we’ve got to find a certain magic to try to overcome that.”

Williams has looked slightly stronger in race trim than qualifying and Russell believes it is “not a million miles away from the potential of the car”.

He said that “the biggest bit is waiting for upgrades and development”, which he said needed to be more significant than others or Williams will look like it is not making progress. 

“It’s difficult because what you don’t realise from the outside is that you do improve, but it’s all relative to everybody else,” he said. “Unless we improve double or triple the amount compared to everybody else we’ll still be in a similar position.

“People will think we’ve made no progress when we have, it’s just our starting position is much further back.”

Williams has not introduced a major upgrade since the start of the year, with its plans also set back by the need to change parts to ensure their legality. 

Russell said he was not sure when a significant upgrade would arrive. 

“You try to bring your upgrade as soon as possible,” he said. “For us it doesn’t really change, regardless of position. 

“Everyone’s on a timeframe and you can’t suddenly create a front wing in one week when it usually takes eight weeks, for example. 

“That’s just how it is. You’ve got to push through these moments.”

Additional reporting by Adam Cooper