2019 really was the year you’d wish to forget. If you thought that 2018 was bad then 2019 managed to top that which was quite a feat.

The issues started long before the car hit the track. Martini had left as a sponsor at the end of the season and so the team initially courted dodgy energy drinks company Rich Energy. The fact that they pulled out from the deal and went with Haas at the 11th hour turned out to be a blessing in the end given what happened there. Into the breach stepped ROKiT who became the lead sponsor in a deal that really seems to be built on similar values to Williams themselves.

It was all change on the driver front too with the Strolls exiting to Force India in came Robert Kubica who stepped up from the reserve driver role bringing with him Orlen sponsorship and highly rated rookie George Russell.

If having a driver with that much experience paired with such an exciting junior was a great prospect the car was an absolute disaster. The FW42 was late – not just a little bit, but a lot – it missed the pre-season testing by a whole two and a half days. To make matters worse not only was it late to the track but it was late on the track too – not just a little bit, but a lot – sometime four seconds off the back of the next team. It was disaster and heads needed to roll and before the season began Paddy Lowe was off.

The remainder of the season was a slog as the car was highly uncompetitive and, much like last year, one driver was upbeat and positive with Kubica taking over the role of pantomime villain from Stroll. It was draining to watch and must have been pretty awful for those in the team. 2020 must be a step-up surely?

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• 2019 French Grand Prix

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