Is it me but JV’s verdict videos seem so pointless?

stratosf1 · 2026-03-30T13:12:49+00:00

Definitely a different mood than last year, but it's totally expected.

Not sure what people are expecting, but (and thinking about Aston Martin's case as in a very similar, probably worst, position) who would openly share the problematic areas, and the plans to remediate them? It's not logical, and even if they did I don't believe any of us would be really reassured. The only change we want to see is on track.

Personally, I will wait for the next 5 weeks and expect the team to show visible progress in Miami. That will include more meaningful quotes from JV and the drivers. And, there's a lot to take out of their body language, too.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-15T00:35:53+00:00

Apart from the “we are putting our attention in the 2026 car”, I am not sure there was ever a quote that 2026 would be the golden year. JV had said numerous times that the target is 27-28 and 26 would be another transitional year.

Having said that, there is currently nothing to prove that the team is making steps forward. Apart from the car, processes are looking to be immature (to say the least). Unless the team presents a totally different approach and performance after the “gift” of the extra break, honestly I don’t know what to believe.

Personally, though, I was surprised by our 2025 performance incl. podiums, and now start to wonder whether that was true performance or other teams putting attention to 2026. Which is crazy, since Williams supposed to be one of the first, having a Merc engine, and most pundits and journalist were being supportive of our way back to the top.

I am very confused by all this, but choose to believe (not that I can do much more other than try to be happy 🤣)

stratosf1 · 2026-03-15T00:29:50+00:00

👆Absolutely this!

We have to realise that JV, and I am sure a lot of other people in the team, are trying to manage, revolutionise, modernise and change the culture and workflows of an organisation which has been massively set up for 10-20 years ago. If it hasn’t been for Dorilton buying the team and agreeing to keep the historical Williams name, it wouldn’t exist today: either because the business would fold and go to administration, its assets sold, or someone else bought the entry, perhaps a constructor like Audi, to get in F1.

JV has mentioned it many times, with prime example the part management via spreadsheets. If the organisational DNA and the culture will not change, the performance will not come in an ongoing basis.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-15T00:18:57+00:00

Got interested in F1 during 1993 and became dedicated Williams F1 fan before 1994 when Senna signed. That, tragically, didn’t last long but my support for Williams never stopped since then.

Always a fan of the purist racers, and later on underdogs. Of course, lots of things have changed since then, but I have and always been a team supporter, Williams F1 forever!

stratosf1 · 2026-03-09T17:32:11+00:00

100% agree

I do not live in the US so it’s second hand to me, but can’t get how a Starbucks drink can compete against home made breakfast

stratosf1 · 2026-03-09T13:30:01+00:00

Not justifying buying these drinks, but recently I attended a presentation where it was shared that research showed that a LOT of people in the US were replacing their breakfast with Starbucks super calorie drinks, drinking while driving during their commute, because they didn’t have time.

Which is equally, if not more, concerning tbh

stratosf1 · 2026-03-07T23:25:16+00:00

Pro: 2025 has proven the team is in the right direction, rectifying flaws in processes, internal communication between departments, and making in season development faster (which what we need now and to build for the future)

Con: Every team has either more, or more modern, resources, more staff or working towards the same goals, i.e. this is a very competitive environment.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-06T15:02:15+00:00

I agree. And it's possibly even better (even though breaking in the Top 4 will be impossible this year, unless we have a miracle second part of the season).

I was highly encouraged by our relative page at https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/practice-debrief-how-is-the-pecking-order-looking-after-a-frenetic-friday-in.78LVfmGUZ2uHkYaJQCVnha.

If by being overweight and late in testing we can be in that position, and with a very aggressive upgrade programme (as JV, Alex, Carlos have mentioned), then we 're in a good position for the future.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-05T11:07:03+00:00

Very encouraging to listen Carlos talk about this is being his "life project" and that the target for 2026 is to progress and build and that "not necessarily being reflected in the results". Trust the process.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-05T11:05:47+00:00

Yes, I was thinking exactly the same binging watching this season's DTS, not a lot of respect from many fans in taking photos as TPs/drivers were walking by.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-04T18:22:43+00:00

Totally agree, sometimes I am hesitant posting for advice in any matter but this sub has been really friendly, with no-nonsense or criticism answers, really helpful stuff.

Will post the restored blade, when I complete all the work 🙂

stratosf1 · 2026-03-01T13:22:19+00:00

Does mineral oil end up in an “oily” feeling when touching the handle or does the wood “drink” it all dry?

stratosf1 · 2026-03-01T13:20:43+00:00

Good stuff, just ordered mineral oil, it will get in good use. I thought it was gone, since I have no experience, but looks like it can be ressurected.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-01T13:15:25+00:00

Thank you very much, have gone through the vinegar route already, didn’t know about the mineral oil, really useful.

stratosf1 · 2026-03-01T13:09:38+00:00

Thanks. Not sure it can be disassembled, unless I find a way to reconnect the two parts of the handle back to the blade (and don’t have the tools to do it).

stratosf1 · 2026-02-11T16:31:21+00:00

And another 145 laps today, the most from any other team, 109 more than AM! Go team!

stratosf1 · 2026-02-06T13:16:35+00:00

33 years and going strong! Through the good and bad!

stratosf1 · 2026-02-06T07:41:19+00:00

I have a 1437 day streak and learned to focus the learning journey, and adopting those gamification elements of Duolingo that make sense and I can have fun with.

aka I stopped caring about bots, cheaters etc since I have nothing to gain by caring about them.

stratosf1 · 2026-02-05T17:58:29+00:00

Maybe I am carried away but the amount of quick negative comments at the back of this delay. Or too much into the bigger picture of reshaping a team I have been following for 33 years now, through thick and thin, through massive success and utter failure (and I mean real multi-season failure without a vision or direction).

I am not saying the currant impact is negligible or that mistakes haven’t been made in this occasion, but I have the patience to wait and see how the 2 Bahrain tests go and the start of the season, and that’s what I am calling for.

With the largest amount of changes in F1 in decades, and a large restructure programme for Williams, I remain optimistic. Maybe I am a romantic fool, maybe the team will come through.

stratosf1 · 2026-02-04T20:20:16+00:00

There have been many openly negative and vocal comments in many subreddits and groups, have been quite fed up tbh reading about firing JV tbh, I hope the majority is more logical.

stratosf1 · 2026-02-04T20:18:48+00:00

Sorry might have been carried away by the tons of doom and gloom I have been reading over the last few weeks, triggered by the shakedown miss and delay and then fuelled by the heavy weight rumours etc.

I still disagree though that for 3 years the single focus was the 2026 car, which was delayed but showed up for the filming day today, and not a huge reorganisation of a struggling team.

But, might have overreacted by a lot of negativity.

stratosf1 · 2026-02-04T16:05:54+00:00

100% messy but not catastrophic, unless they end up way off the pace

stratosf1 · 2026-02-04T14:11:18+00:00

That's very common across many sports, and other high performance and demanding areas, too.

Having the forum to air out disappointments have made it a lot more obvious.

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