Baku compensation will take a long time - Williams

Compensation for the damage caused to George Russell’s Formula 1 car at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take a long time to resolve, according to Claire Williams.

Russell’s car suffered significant floor damage when he struck a loose drain cover during Friday practice in a bizarre incident that acted as another setback for the struggling Williams squad.

Williams is confident insurance will pay out for the damage caused but concedes it may take some time to resolve.

“I met with the promoter in Baku to have the conversation and obviously explain to have the money expedited was important to the team,” Williams’ deputy team principal told reporters in Spain.

“They were very accommodating and are moving things pretty quickly forward so we’re pleased. We got some lovely flowers too, but I would rather have had a new floor!”

Asked if she could put a specific figure on the damage costs, Williams replied: “That’s why it has taken a long time.

“We are still going through that process at the moment and our priority was to get the repair work done to then go through the analysis to understand exactly how much of a cost there is.”

Russell’s teammate Robert Kubica suffered a hefty crash during Baku qualifying but Williams was able to repair both chassis in time for last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Haas received compensation from the Sepang International Circuit following a similar drain-related incident during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, though it had to wait almost a year to get a payout.