Massa: Williams' 2018 car 'a lot more aggressive'

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Before heading into retirement at the end of last year, Felipe Massa got a sneak peak at Williams' 2018 charger and was impressed by what he saw.

The Grove-based outfit's new car will be the first design overseen by Williams tech boss Paddy Lowe, and according to Massa, the changes compared to his FW40 machine are significant.

"I saw the new car in the wind tunnel and I saw so many changes that look quite interesting," Massa told Motorsport.com.

"Everybody is working. Maybe you get to the first race and everybody has so many different changes and everything in the car.

"The car looks a lot more aggressive. It looks a lot different so I believe maybe they can improve."

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In 2017, Williams failed to challenge Force India as the fourth best team on the grid or the 'best of the rest' behind front-runners Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

With meaningful progress expected from McLaren and Renault this season, Massa believes Williams will face another challenging year.

"You will have Renault that will improve," said the Brazilian.

"You will also have McLaren so we need to see how much it can be this improvement.

"I need to see also what the drivers can do but I believe maybe the team can have a better car compared to what we had until now."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.