Symonds confident Austria will deliver a 'strong haul' of points

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Williams chief technical officer Pat Symonds is confident Williams will enjoy a profitable Austrian Grand Prix weekend on a track where the Grove outfit has performed well in the past.

Williams, which had hoped to challenge Ferrari for 'best of the rest' status behind the dominant Mercedes squad, has delivered relatively consistent results but still appears to be finding its footing this year, fighting with Red Bull and Force India as it lays fourth in the constructors' standings.

But Symonds is hopeful that Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa can deliver the goods at the Red Bull Ring, a track whose configuration will suit the strengths of Williams' FW38 chassis.

"We are in the middle of a phase of high-speed circuits of which Austria is typical, and as such favours the characteristics of the FW38 and the Mercedes power unit," says Pat Symonds.

"The circuit itself has brought us success in the past, and we have every reason to believe that it will do so again.

Symonds is a little wary however of the elements which may hit the Styria hills next weekend, as well as of the track itself.

"For this third visit here with the hybrid cars we will see a couple of significant differences.

The first is the weather, which is predicted to be unsettled throughout Friday and Saturday, with current forecasts showing Sunday as the only potentially dry day.

Perhaps more significantly is the fact that the circuit has been completely resurfaced. In the recent European F3 race, teams reported that it was more severe on tyres, which makes the prospect of a dry race following damp practice sessions even more challenging.

"That being said, we would expect to see a two-stop race in Austria and the selected tyre choices seem to reflect that.

"Whatever conditions are thrown at us I have every confidence that the team will come through to gather a strong haul of points."

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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.