Williams’ long-awaited F1 upgrade is delivering in Baku – but was Q3 an “overachievement”?

Williams has introduced a new chassis at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which has provided substantial performance gains. According to Motorsport.com, this upgrade has allowed the team to achieve its best qualifying results of the year, with Carlos Sainz consistently quick in Baku, finishing 11th in Q1, then ninth in the next two segments of qualifying.

The team had struggled with an overweight car since the start of the season, but former IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe says that finally hitting Formula 1's minimum weight limit will provide Williams with "free lap time" at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This, he explains, requires no set-up changes or driving ability and is a significant improvement.

Williams' technical upgrades and reduced weight have shown promise, but team principal James Vowles has tempered expectations ahead of the weekend. The team's performance in Baku will be closely watched, particularly given the circuit's unique demands, including its longest full-throttle section and tight corners.

Brief written by urgent.news from Motorsport.com, The National Business, The National UAE, Yahoo Sports — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.