Williams investigates performance slump

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Williams has asked chief technical officer Pat Symonds to examine the reasons behind the team's substantial current performance dip.

The British outfit enjoyed a strong start to its 2016 campaign, and was generally viewed along with Ferrari as Mercedes' biggest rival, but gradually its form - and that of drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa - has faded with only two points scored in the last two races.

While Symonds pointed towards how the Williams FW38 exploits its tyres as a principal reason for its recent run of poor results, the engineer would not rule out other areas of the car.

"It's not just about getting the tyres working properly," explained Symonds.

"We'll do an awful lot of looking back, but we've got to look very deep into what we are doing now, we've got to be very honest with ourselves, and get that performance back.

"We have got to bring performance to the car and we have got to use the car well. The main thing is get on top of the tyres, but we need to get the aero up a little bit."

Symonds revealed that a new floor will be introduced at this weekend's Hungarian GP, with minor updates to follow later this summer, after the break, as the team also ramps up its work on its 2017 challenger.

With Force India eyeing Williams' current fourth place standing in the constructors championship, the Grove squad definitely needs to get its momentum back.

"Force India has made some good aero steps since Barcelona, and we probably haven't kept up with that. We have got to bring our new parts along - we have a new floor in Hungary, which is quite good.

"But we are pretty near the end of aerodynamic development now because the new car needs to be in the windtunnel.

"That doesn't mean there won't be more parts coming because they are in the pipeline, and it doesn't stop you working on other areas.

"I respect Force India, they are a really good team, but I am confident we will retain fourth place."

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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.