Britain Preview Quotes: Williams

Mark Webber: "Silverstone is always a place I enjoy going to. Because I've lived in England for a long time, I have many friends that always come to support the teams I have competed for at the British Grand Prix. I have many good memories of Silverstone. In 1997, I raced in F3 for Alan Docking Racing, whose team was based there, while I won there when I was driving in F3000. Last year's F1 race was good and, last, but not least, home is only 40 minutes away! I have also done a lot of cycling round that area so I know the place pretty well.

"The circuit itself is massively demanding. It's a high speed circuit, not too dissimilar to Barcelona. As we know, weather can play a huge role at Silverstone, but it would be good to have decent conditions. I really hope we'll be more competitive next weekend and have a good race for one of the team's home GPs."

Sam Michael (Technical Director): "After France, we head to the UK for our home race, the British Grand Prix, and the final part of the double header. Silverstone is a high speed circuit, with fast changes of direction and three straights that reward power. It also has a slow speed complex to finish off the lap. Aero efficiency is important at Silverstone, with the cars' set-up geared towards helping high speed stability while not losing too much grip in the complex.

"To give our drivers the best chance at the British Grand Prix, we have some further aero and mechanical upgrades for the cars. The chassis development has been pushed really hard this year to improve the FW27. 2005 has been the hardest and fastest development year we have ever had and the improved chassis proves the hard work is yielding results. Overtaking is possible at Silverstone, as was demonstrated a couple of years ago. The teams' strategy decisions will be clearer now that the qualifying format has settled down again."

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "Silverstone is one of the most traditional venues on the race calendar and, even after all this time, it remains one of the most popular circuits. At WilliamsF1's home race, we want to make sure we get a good result. Having four races within one month, July presents a real challenge for everybody involved, especially because we have already had two back-to-back races recently, including an overseas trip. Given the hectic schedule, any development of the chassis is even more remarkable. The new aerodynamic package, having made its debut in Magny-Cours, should bear more fruit at Silverstone. The three straights of the Silverstone circuit reward engine power. With 58 per cent full throttle per lap, Silverstone ranks slightly higher than the average F1 track. Nick and Mark will both have new BMW P84/5 engines for the British Grand Prix."