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James Vowles was frustrated in the aftermath of the Saudi Arabia GP, as Williams left the Jeddah circuit empty-handed. In part, the British team principal's grievances stem from his disapproval of Kevin Magnussen's defence.
Williams entered the second round of 2024 well aware of the challenge ahead. There is now an established top-five group in F1, which makes it very difficult for midfield teams to score points.
However, when there are retirements from this leading group - such as Lance Stroll's in Jeddah - opportunities can present themselves. Unfortunately for James Vowles, his team was unable to capitalise on this window of opportunity.
Despite this, the former Mercedes engineer believes the FW46 was fast enough to finish in the top 10:
"I know we had a car that could score a point, yet we walk away without anything to our name," he explained in the Williams Racing YouTube Channel.
"In part, that was because Alex's car was damaged by Magnussen pushing him into the wall .
The Saudi Arabia GP provided a series of scrappy battles in the lower midfield. This will surely be a consistent trend in 2024 unless one of these teams can break into the top five.
For now, though, Williams must execute perfectly to have a chance of scoring points.
Considering the characteristics of the FW46 car, traditionally strong circuits for the Grove-baed team (like Monza) will provide key opportunities.
James Vowles unhappy with Magnussen's defence
Reflecting on the second race of 2024, the Williams team principal believes Magnussen's defensive driving should be questioned:
"But then [Magnussen was] using tactics to back up the remainder of the field so that Hulkenberg could score that additional point.
"Those questions on whether or not those tactics are viable or not, or unsportsmanlike -let's review that as an organisation and a sport going forward.
"My opinion from it, is that's not how I want to go racing."
Kevin Magnussen played a central role in Haas securing their first points of 2024, which came via Nico Hulkenberg's 10th place.
The 36-year-old capitalised on his Danish teammate's defence to create a gap to cars behind and claim a crucial result.
Only six teams have scored points this season so far, outlining the difficult task that Williams must confront.
For James Vowles, a combination of updates and operational excellence will be critical for his team's success in F1 2024.
