Claire Williams admits that financial compensation for the damage done to one of Williams’ cars at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix could take some time.
When passing through a manhole cover in Baku, the car driven by George Russell was severely damaged by the latter, which rose with the suction phenomenon caused by the flat bottom of the FW42.
The damage was significant, as the British team was forced to change the chassis of Russell’s car, in addition to several other pieces.
As a result of this incident, the Baku circuit confirmed that the route insurance company would cover the expenses, but almost a month after the Azerbaijani test – the repairs have still not been reimbursed to Williams.
“I met the promoter in Baku to discuss and explain to him that money was paramount for the team. They were very accommodating and get things done fast enough, we are delighted. We also had pretty flowers, although I would have preferred a new flat bottom.” Claire said.
When asked if she could give a precise figure for the damage done to George Russell’s Williams in Baku, Claire Williams replied, “That’s why it takes time.”
“We’re still in the process right now, and our priority [at the time] was to complete the repair work before we did an analysis to understand exactly what the costs would be.” she added.
Williams confirm damage done to George Russell car in Baku incident. (Source:www.thestar.com.my)
Arif Rahimov on the other hand, the promoter of the Azerbaijan GP, said he was pushing for the matter to be sorted swiftly after apologising to Williams for what happened.
“Obviously this is our fault, we did admit it. It’s something that we as a circuit shouldn’t have allowed. We have checked again our insurance policy and it is fully covered.” Rahimov said.
“Our legal department is talking to Williams’ legal department and they will be reimbursed in full. Obviously there are no hard feelings, as we both understand that it was never meant to be and it was definitely not on purpose. We were very apologetic and we also sent some flowers to say we were really sorry about what happened.” Rahimov added.
