P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Team principal James Vowles is confident missing last week’s Barcelona shakedown was not as bad as it looked.
James Vowles explained that Williams missing the shakedown test in Barcelona was not a total loss. Despite being among the first to halt development on last year’s car, Williams did not run at Circuit de Catalunya during the available testing days. However, substantial running was done via Virtual Track Testing (VTT), a simulation rig that validates car components and systems off-track. The team also benefited from Mercedes running 502 laps and receiving additional data from McLaren and Alpine. Vowles expressed disappointment in missing Barcelona but praised the success of VTT running and simulator work done by drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon. He believes the team can mitigate the loss with extensive testing and advanced technology at their disposal.
