1/43 Model Review: 2019 Williams FW42 (Minichamps)

Williams were looking to bounce back after a a poor year at the back of the grid. The Martini sponsorship had elapsed and a new livery for the season saw the car blend a bright blue and white, whilst Rokit phones became their title sponsor. Out was Stroll and Sirotkin, the 'pay drivers' and in comes the impressive Mercedes junior driver George Russell and Robert Kubica, nearly 10 years after his horrific rally accident. Expectations that Paddy Lowe, fresh from Mercedes, could lead the technical team to improve the car. Sadly the opposite happened. The car was late and it was terribly slow, confining it to the rear of the grid. The whole saga and season was rather embarrassing for the proud team, truth be told, but they do garner a lot of support from well-wishers in and out of the paddock.

George Russell dominated in all the comparisons compared to his teammate, except for one stat which matters, which was points scored. Russell was unfortunate to not score that point in Germany after the disqualifications of the Alfa Romeos, but it was great to have some good news in a rather depressing season. It wasn't the fairy tale year we'd all hoped for in Kubica, but it is no less a triumphant story of super-human endeavour that got him back into F1 and (more or less) on the pace after the injuries he'd sustained. He didn't ask for sympathy, instead he more than earned the respect of everyone. 

In 2020, the Williams family took the somewhat inevitable decision of selling their team to a group of investors, Dorilton Capital, with the family bowing out of the sport shortly after. But the team did sign the new concorde agreement and the Williams name will remain for the foreseeable future on a stable financial foundation. The FW43 was more competitive and I wish nothing but the best for their future. 

Minichamps 417190088

Onto the model and we only have a Minichamps offering of this car, and no special versions that I know of yet. Again, the model makers have done a fine job in reproducing the car in 1/43 scale. You can see the Mercedes influence, the cape under the nose, the barge-board area, the shape of the sidepods and the raised front suspension. 

I do like the cardboard inlay that you get with the Williams cars, with the black silhouette of the real car behind. The livery looks great for me, but the carbon grey does make it look a bit plasticy. That's not to say they've picked the wrong colour, it's just the matte finish looks more like a toy than a model. I think they could have done a better job on Kubica's helmet livery. 

Overall, a nice model from Minichamps. A nice blend of a great shape, a nice livery and finish, nice detailing on the rims and the bargeboards and the rear of the car. 

Score:8/10