Felipe Massa says Williams can build on the recent momentum of two strong seasons with the FW38.

Williams launched its 2016 car on Friday morning, with the team aiming to build on back-to-back third place finishes in the constructors' championship. Massa believes the recent results should not be underestimated for a team of Williams' size and he believes the work which has gone in to the FW38 gives it a good chance of continuing that form.

“Securing third in the Constructors’ Championship for two consecutive years is a great achievement and one that comes with a lot of expectation - a momentum which I am excited to build on going into the new season," Massa said.

"The team at the factory have worked really hard on the new car and we have spent a lot of time understanding where we need to improve. I have a lot of confidence in the team at Williams and I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the FW38 to see how it performs.

"I’m equally delighted to be teammates with Valtteri [Bottas] for another year. He is a very talented driver who brings a lot to the team.”

Massa will be paired with Bottas for the third consecutive season. The Brazilian finished sixth in the drivers' championship with 121 points, 14 points adrift of his team-mate.

Williams FW38: Pat Symonds Q&A

Check out Red Bull Racing's 2016 livery

Key dates for the 2016 F1 season

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

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Through one lens: Twelve photographs from the 2025 F1 season

  Lewis Hamilton: Australian GP – Albert Park Lewis Hamilton’s very first Grand Prix weekend…

12 hours ago

Two Formula 1 racers born on Christmas day

One driver has a hugely famous name, the other is a special Grand Prix winner,…

14 hours ago

Red with purpose – It’s time for Ferrari to bring it home

As the Ferrari factory in Maranello glows in festive crimson, a sense of anticipation hums…

1 day ago

Norris reveals the quirky private moment his F1 title finally sunk in

Lando Norris had just done the hardest thing in motorsport – winning the Formula 1…

1 day ago

Howden Ganley, McLaren's third-ever employee

A veteran of 41 Grands Prix starts, Howden Ganley - seen here above hitting a…

2 days ago

Leclerc’s ‘naughty’ Christmas gift leaves Russell ‘lost for words’

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc may not have ended the season with a silver trophy in hand,…

2 days ago