Sirotkin: "Other factors masking positives for Williams"

Sergey Sirotkin believes that Williams have made improvements in 2018, but that's being overshadowed by their downflaws.

Williams driver Sergey Sirotkin thinks that his side's improvements are being masked by other factors this season.

Sirotkin is the only driver this season without a single point to his name.

His team mate Lance Stroll only has four, leaving the side last place - 12 points adrift of nearest competitor, Sauber.

They adopted an aggressive new design for the Williams FW41, but it's very safe to say that the design hasn't gone to the team's plan.

"It is very difficult. Honestly we have bits here, bits there, where we get the progress," Sirotkin said to Autosport when asked about the season thus far.

"The only problem that everybody does the same, so it doesn't really change much, our standing compared to the others.

"We do improve compared to ourselves and in certain areas we actually improve quite significantly. But then very often it is overridden by, let's say, by other, bigger factors."

Sirotkin called the Silverstone race last weekend, "very disappointing", after a double-pitlane start for Williams - in their home race.

"On the restart, for the first two laps, it was just about keeping the car on track," Sirotkin admitted.

"Just to drive and hope that a certain amount of laps the situation will come back (under control).

"It partly did, but if you look around everybody else was with a fresh soft tyre.

"Grip level was incomparable and not in my favour, unfortunately.

"When you are a racing driver and you want to be there fighting for positions, it is very painful to feel what I felt for the last stint."