Williams duo George Russell and Robert Kubica are set to run the team’s updated front wing for the remainder of the weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix.
The pair both evaluated the component during Friday practice in Japan but the part was not used for the rest of the weekend, aligning with its pre-event plan.
It is understood that Kubica wanted to retain use of the new component due to the improved feeling he found with the FW42, but he reverted to the old spec for Sunday’s qualifying and race.
Russell and test driver Nicholas Latifi briefly ran the component in FP1, and it was used by the race drivers in FP2, as further assessments were made.
“We back to backed it in the start of FP1, install laps, to get aero data,” said Russell.
“Around here we have 25% less downforce [due to the altitude] so I can’t say if it’s better or worse but I’m sure the guys looking at the data can.”
Kubica added: “It wasn’t an easy [day]. Conditions just I think where we are in high altitude, we are losing a lot of downforce.
“Everyone is losing but the grip was quite poor, we were sliding a lot, low speed corners they are already very slow but with very low grip they feel painful.
“It’s the same for everyone. we cannot change altitude but we knew it would not be an easy one and it was like this.”
Kubica added that he “did use the front wing which I tested in Japan” and that “it’s the plan” to keep the “same front wing” on both FW42s for Saturday and Sunday.
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