Williams: Sam Michael Interview

Neither FW33 finished the opening round of the season. What were the causes of the abandonments of Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado?
We encountered transmission problems on both cars. We are looking for the reasons.

Ptell us about the beginnings of Pastor Maldonado in F1. Were you impressed?
Pastor qualified very well despite the short time he had following his spin during the third free practice session. He remained focused, but had to abort his last attempt due to a flat tire. His race ended too quickly following the transmission problem, so he has not yet been able to show his real potential.

What do you think of the FW33's performance?
The competitiveness of the FW33 is encouraging given the limited running time we had in Melbourne, and the limited time we had to find the right set up. The FW33 can do better, and I hope we can show what the FWXNUMX is capable of. car during the next races.

Is Pirelli tire degradation what you expected?
The deterioration was significant in Melbourne, but less significant than expected. Sergio Perez managed to save his tires during his second stint in order to make only one pit stop.

What do you think of the movable rear wing? Did it have the expected effects in Melbourne?
I think it contributed something when it was working, but it's still too early to judge. From what we have seen, I think it will have the desired effect; i.e. making overtaking maneuvers easier.

What are your hopes for the Malaysian Grand Prix?
In Sepang, our goal will be to be in the Top 10 in qualifying, and to bring both cars into the points.

Discover in your AUTOhebdo magazine, on newsstands tomorrow, the complete analysis of the Australian GP and the victory of Sebastian Vettel by our two special correspondents in Melbourne.