Williams ‘confident’ of Ferrari challenge at Spielberg

Williams head of performance vehicle Rob Smedley is “confident” his team can fight at the sharp end of the field once again to challenge Ferrari during this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

The Grove-based outfit secured his first 2015 podium last time out in Canada, courtesy of Valtteri Bottas’ strong drive to third. Although he lined up 15th on the Montreal grid, team-mate Felipe Massa enjoyed a solid recovery that netted him sixth.

“We are coming out of a race where we’ve shown great pace and good tyre management,” said Smedley. “So going into Austria we can be confident of aiming for the front again.”

“Third is looking even more solid but we can’t take anything for granted and it isn’t just about third. We want to push on and try to close up to Ferrari.”

Coming after power-hungry Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Red Bull Ring is another fast and flowing track where Mercedes engines are expected to remain the benchmark. Smedley believes the Austrian layout will indeed suit the FW37.

“It’s a circuit that is very rewarding for power and drag and we know that our car is strong in these areas, so we’re confident.

“It’s a circuit where we can make points on [Ferrari] and that is our target.”

Returning to Spielberg also bears a special significance for Williams, with the British team beating Mercedes in qualifying and locking out the front row of the Austrian Grand Prix grid 12 months ago.

Sir Frank Williams’ squad is actually the only other F1 outfit to have claimed a pole position since the current generation of power units was introduced into the sport in early 2014.

Click here for F1i's exclusive interview with Daniel Ricciardo

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

A quiet man on the verge of F1 greatness

On this day in 1977, Carlos Pace was killed in a light aircraft accident near…

12 mins ago

Domenicali tips Hamilton to win with Ferrari in 2025

Formula 1 chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali has ignited excitement with a confident prediction: Lewis…

1 hour ago

Norris replies to Russell: ‘Sorry mate, that’s not the right mentality'

Lando Norris has emphatically dismissed George Russell’s suggestion that McLaren’s early-season dominance in 2025 is…

3 hours ago

Red Bull targets upgrades to tackle tyre woes and chase McLaren

Red Bull is setting its sights on closing the gap to McLaren in the 2025…

4 hours ago

Formula 1 and teams lock in future with new Concorde Deal

Formula 1’s future has been set in stone, with the announcement that all 11 teams…

19 hours ago

Frustrated FIA implements stricter rear wing tests for Chinese GP

In the wake of mounting frustration over F1 teams pushing the boundaries of aerodynamic regulations,…

20 hours ago