ESPImperium wrote:RacingManiac wrote:Jury is still out on Williams I think....the Toyota last year wasn't exactly short on power, so switching to the "long-life" Cosworth will be an unknown for them.
Personally i think they should have gone with the Renault power package for 2010, but the thing with the Renault the wernt happy about was that they wouldnt have any input on how the RS27-2010 was developed in terms of power band as they would have to choose a Renault or Red Bull power band for the first year.
Williams were looking for a custom powerband straight off, but as Red Bull found out with the RB3 and RB4 it takes a year to eighteen months to get the power band just about right for the car. I dont think that Williams had that patience, and since they Cosworth plant was using the powerband that they help develop in 2006. Williams wanted the Renault power, but the "custom" technical support that Cosworth were offering was the deal maker.
Engines are fairly easy to map, wouldn't take more than a few test sessions to key it into the car. And then you're forgetting that some circuits will demand different maps, it will all depend on the time spent at WOT (Wide Open Throttle), time spent at 17,000+ rpm, nature of the circuit, atmospheric conditions etc. So in short this isn't an issue. The fact they would have been the 3rd team is an issue though, and with Renault's waivering stance I can't blame Williams going for a guarantee'd option, when Renault could pull the plug at any time. Williams will also be the No.1 team for Cosworth, they will guide development.
BUT heres the theory that was offered to me since the Williams power package was announced so late in the day; Williams knew that Toyota were wanting to pull out, and Toyota came to them and offered them free engines untill 2010, and do what could be effectivly known as a "Team Merger" (whitch would have seen Williams take on a few old Toyota sponsors as well, worth up to $80million a year) where the team is know as Toyota Williams to get Toyota out of the concorde aggreement, but Frank Williams was starting to get a little sick of having to have a Toyota driver in one of his seats and said no out of choice as the Barrichello deal was all but done then, whitch means he would have to choose between Hulkenberg or Kobiyashai and he wanted Nico over Kimui. Personally id have taken that offer, but given Kimui and Nico a race about offer for the first 14 races, and the driver who was best after that would have been in the seat for the rest of the year. And both Nico and Kimui in the team for 2011, would have made on strong and young team in my opinion.
Nice theory...an indeed their are some aspects of it that makes sense. But not the Toyota Williams bit...and as for the sponsors, they are going begging anyway, they arn't going to just jump ship cause Toyota told them to.
Williams Cosworth makes a lot of sense, it's all British for one, Frank and Patrick are patriotic.
It's good commercially, as no sponsors can be scared off by association with a manufacturer.
The engine stands every chance of being as good as the competition by all measures. Cosworth arn't exactly stupid when it comes down to it. And F1 technology hasn't moved on that much since they were last in it.
And as said, I'd rather be master of my own destiny than having to get a 3rd rate service...