George Russell believes Williams’ performance level at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix will determine whether the team has any “hope” for the remainder of the 2019 Formula 1 season.
Williams has so far endured a lacklustre campaign amid a chronic lack of performance with its FW42, which has come in the wake of the team slumping to the foot of the grid in 2018.
Russell and team-mate Robert Kubica have regularly qualified a second adrift of the slowest midfield drivers, and have been the final two finishers at each race.
The FW42 is yet to complete a single race lap inside the top 10.
As with most other Formula 1 teams Williams is set to bring several updates to the first European event in Barcelona this weekend, as it chases closing the gap to the midfield teams.
“From the moment we put this car down in Barcelona [during pre-season testing] we knew we’d be having this car for the next four races or so,” he said.
“We’ve got a few little updates coming for Barcelona and I think that will give us a good indication of how the rest of the season will pan out.
“[They are] a number of different things, varying from aerodynamics to brakes and so on.
“Like I said it’s not a full update but it will give us a clear direction of where we need to focus and based on those results it will help us understand if we’ve got any hope for the remainder of the season or not.”
Russell has spent the last few seasons of his career competing at the front of respective championships, picking up titles in GP3 and Formula 2, as well as testing for reigning champions Mercedes.
Russell is now arriving at grand prix weekends braced for a Q1 elimination and a race spent adhering to blue flags while running several seconds off the pace.
When asked by Motorsport Week how he retains motivation in such circumstances, Russell replied: “I’m enjoying the challenge. It’s a very different role for me.
“My task at the moment is to direct the team and point them in the right areas where we need to focus.
“I feel quite a lot of responsibility to help turn this team around and get us back to where Williams belongs to be.
“I’m enjoying that aspect of it but it’s a shame it’s not quick process, these things always take time.”
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