WilliamsF1 to run third car in 2006

By Andrew Hooper
October 26 2005

 
WilliamsF1 to run third car
 

The 2006 Formula One season will see the WilliamsF1 team take up the option of using a third car on the Fridays of Grand Prix meetings. This is despite the loss of the support of BMW and major sponsor Hewlett Packard.

In an interview for Autosport team boss Frank Williams spoke of how such a move to run a third will be an additional financial overhead for the team but it is one that the team will put to good use.

With the team facing the 2006 season with a new engine supplier as well as new tyre supplier Bridgestone having a third car will give them additional track time that should assist them in speeding up their development programmes.

Williams said: "It is going to be a financial penalty that we are not particularly well equipped to handle, but we believe we have to participate in that and we will deal with it."

As for who would get the role of the teams third Friday driver Williams added: "We will have to wait and see. The choice of experienced ex-GP drivers is very limited and some of these guys are very expensive.

"Life as a truly independent team is materially different now. We've no sugar daddy to fall back on, not that we really every did, but BMW did give us the engine free, and free cars, and all of that does make a difference to one's budget."
 

 
 
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