Breaking news
Formula 1 Monaco GP
Sirotkin says Williams now past 2018's low point
Monaco was proof that Williams has cleared the worst part of its season, according to the Formula 1 team's driver Sergey Sirotkin.
Scott Mitchell
Edited: May 30, 2018, 10:11 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Russian rookie made it into the second part of qualifying for only the second time this season and started 12th, and would have remained in points contention had he not picked up a stop/go penalty for a Williams rules breach on the grid.
Williams was fixing a wheel assembly problem on his car after the three-minute board had been given prior to the start and the ensuing penalty wrecked Sirotkin’s race and restricted him to 16th.
However, he said Williams’s qualifying performance showed that a nightmare previous race in Spain “was a weekend to forget” and the team was “back in our normal routine”.
“It is a very positive trend,” said Sirotkin. “Barcelona was the one-off and I really wanted to prove that.
“I didn’t want that to upset our mentality and our motivation for all the work here and back at the factory.
“Now we can confirm that Barcelona was a one-off. We are there, we are fighting, which is good not just in terms of the result but also mentally for all of us.”
Sirotkin said he knew it was important to prove to Williams employees not working trackside that there was a tangible performance step from Spain.
“I knew it would not be the same [but] to prove it is still a bit different,” he said.
“It is quite important. I would feel stupid if I said this [that Spain was a one-off] and come here and it will be the same.
“I am happy we have proved it. I hope this result will please all the people working here and back at the factory, for whom it is a bit more difficult to see [progress on-track].”
Sirotkin thought he was on for a Q3 appearance after strong practice pace in Monaco but Williams did not make the step it expected in qualifying.
He fared much better than team-mate Lance Stroll, who qualified 17th and ended the race in the same position, last of the finishers, after suffering two punctures.
“It was a pretty terrible day,” said Stroll. “After that I was busy letting cars through with blue flags as I was a lap down.
“Then we had temperature problems all race, and I was told to give gaps and let cars by, so there was not much of an opportunity and we just weren't racing.”
Chief technical officer Paddy Lowe said Stroll’s first puncture was “due to the brakes becoming too hot, which overheated the rim and caused the failure”.
Lowe added: “We failed to control that on the second set of tyres and he suffered another puncture.
“The issue was managed for the rest of the race, but with so many pitstops and blue flags, Lance was in no position to make any progress.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Red Bull wants to sort engine deal before Ricciardo contract
Next article Sauber introduces its biggest update yet
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Scott Mitchell
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Formula 1
Formula 1
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
Formula 1
Formula 1
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
More from
Sergey Sirotkin
Sirotkin to stay as Renault F1 reserve in 2020
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sirotkin to stay as Renault F1 reserve in 2020
Sirotkin replaces stranded Lundgaard for F2 testing
FIA F2
FIA F2
Sirotkin replaces stranded Lundgaard for F2 testing
Sirotkin: F1 exit more painful now than before
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sirotkin: F1 exit more painful now than before
More from
Williams
James Vowles explains request for review of F1 cost cap
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
James Vowles explains request for review of F1 cost cap
Williams Racing is suing a local garage owner for £1million
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Williams Racing is suing a local garage owner for £1million
Latest news
Five-time IndyCar champion, first-time Indy NXT driver: Alex Palou tops IMS road course test
Indy NXT
IndL Indy NXT 2 min
Five-time IndyCar champion, first-time Indy NXT driver: Alex Palou tops IMS road course test
Gabriel Bortoleto on Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar's F1 success: 'Let's see where we are in 20 years'
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
1 h
Gabriel Bortoleto on Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar's F1 success: 'Let's see where we are in 20 years'
Nicki Thiim's cheeky F1 jab: "Max Verstappen just wants to drive a proper race car!"
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 1 h
Nicki Thiim's cheeky F1 jab: "Max Verstappen just wants to drive a proper race car!"
MotoGP riders say 850cc bikes will be less physical and more fun to ride
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Indonesian GP
1 h
MotoGP riders say 850cc bikes will be less physical and more fun to ride
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe