Lance Stroll says he hopes Williams can emerge from its current crisis.
The Canadian driver, and his billionaire father and backer Lawrence, left the team at the end of last year. Williams’ performance has worsened yet still since then.
"It’s difficult for them," Stroll, 20, told La Presse. "I spent two seasons there.
"F1 is a very difficult environment. All the pieces have to work together for the results to be there and sometimes it only takes one bad decision for everything to fall apart.
"It’s a bit like what happened there, although I can’t really say more.
"It’s definitely a shame for them. Williams has been a great team and I hope they will soon come out of this bad patch," he added.
For 2019, Stroll switched from Williams to Racing Point — the former Force India team that was acquired mid last year by his billionaire father.
He has scored just 4 points so far in 2019.
"On paper, it’s true that my record hasn’t improved compared to last year," he said. "But beyond the numbers, I’m confident for the rest of the championship.
"This team has proven in the past that it has a lot of potential and a highly skilled workforce.
"The season is also a marathon and we will progress and improve. I’m not worried because the foundations of this team are solid."
Stroll said the reason for the team’s dip this year is because it almost collapsed financially before the acquisition.
"The team had a bad season in 2018 because of its precarious financial situation," Stroll said.
But he also admits he has to improve in qualifying, having failed to get through the Q1 segment for the last ten grands prix, spanning his time at both Racing Point and Williams.
"I know very well that I have to improve this situation," Stroll said. "But the gaps are so small. In many cases, I was bothered by traffic.
"A tenth of a second can make a big difference."