Williams technical director Sam Michael admits the team are not where they hoped to be going into the European season.
The Grove-based outfit, one of the three teams to have a split-diffuser on their car in Melbourne, started the season strongly with Nico Rosberg qualifying in fifth and fourth place in Melbourne and Malaysia.
The potential of the FW31 was unleashed in Sepang as Rosberg vaulted into the lead, only for heavy rain to spoil his chance of a possible win and podium.
In general though Williams have not been able to produce the same race pace as the Brawn GP, Red Bull and Toyota cars. The best Rosberg could manage in Bahrain was ninth place, as McLaren and Renault, now with interim split-diffusers, got the jump on Williams too.
Technical director Sam Michael knows the team will have to improve the FW31 ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in a fortnight.
“We didn t leave Bahrain in the position where we needed to be,” the Australian said. “We ve only accumulated 3.5 points from four races this season and we need to improve upon that going into the European rounds if we re going to stay in the game.”
“It s clear from this weekend s Grand Prix that we definitely need to perform better in qualifying and to assist the drivers going into the first corner, among other things.”
