Nobody takes any pleasure in seeing Williams where they are right now.
This once great racing team should not be driving around at the back of the grid, scrapping for the odd point here and there. But that's what happened in 2022 – one of the worst seasons in the team's 45-year history, which yielded little joy for anyone of a Williams persuasion.
A team principal losing their job after such a poor year shouldn't really be a surprise, but few people saw Jost Capito's departure coming at the time it did. In hindsight, though, the shock of it dulled somewhat when his bizarre methods which failed to convince staff of his suitability for the job are taken into account.
After a lengthy wait, Williams have a replacement. James Vowles was confirmed as the new team principal last week in a move which only further strengthens the link they have with power unit suppliers Mercedes.
On the face of it, signing the chief strategist of the team which won eight straight world titles looks like an excellent signing. Hopefully that will prove to be the case – Vowles has been around the block and will bring a lot of experience and know-how with him.
There is one worrying issue, though, which is the fact he does not actually start until February 20th. To put that into perspective, pre-season testing begins just three days later and the first race of the season follows about a week after.
Surely, that is not the ideal way to prepare for a season? It will not affect the car, of course – that has been under construction for a long time without Vowles' input – but to hope for the best after a change in leadership with such little time for him to get used to his surroundings and staff to conform to his management style is asking a lot.
Plus, the task ahead of him is a monumental one. Before he can even begin to start implementing whatever his own plans for the team's future might be, he must unite a divided team. Williams is not only that, but also a team full of people who have proven in recent years that they are not altogether embracing of change.
Regardless of all that, there is one reason to hope for a big improvement from Williams this year – and it's already been mentioned. Their 2022 car was miles off the pace which is why they gave up on it so early, but the upside of that decision will hopefully be a more competitive machine this year.
Knowing that the 2022 season was a write-off, Capito made the decision to cease all development on the FW44 by the summer. They have been working on their upcoming car full-time ever since and there is hope that they will reap the benefit of that sacrifice.
Driving whatever they come up with at Grove will once again be Alex Albon. The British-Thai racer only managed a handful of points in his first season back in F1 but that was mostly due to his car – his own performances were impressive to the point his fellow drivers named him eighth on the list of best performers last year, despite finishing 19th in the standings.
Turning 27 in March, Albon is now tied to Williams with a multi-year deal guaranteeing his place in the sport and hopefully he can kick on from here. As well as his driving ability, his leadership skills will be tested this year as he spearheads his team's challenge alongside rookie Logan Sargeant.
How well the American will adapt to F1 remains to be seen, but at the very least he will be a huge commercial asset to both Williams and the sport itself. They will be desperate to avoid two consecutive seasons at the foot of the constructors' championship.
Whether they can avoid that fate depends largely on the outcome of Capito's last gamble – and whether Vowles can convince staff to be more open to change than has previously been the case.
