Jenson Button impressed by Williams F1 team's revival
The Williams Formula 1 team has impressed its former driver Jenson Button by how competitive it has been so far this season
Williams finished a distant ninth in last year's constructors' championship, scoring just five points across the campaign, but has bounced back brilliantly in 2014 - racking up 135 points in 11 races and fighting with Ferrari for third in the standings.
McLaren driver Button, who made his F1 debut with Williams in 2000, reckons the Grove-based squad is enjoying the benefits of smart investment by its management ahead of the sport's rules shift over the winter.
"I think they've put a lot of effort into doing well this year. They've spent a lot of resources on getting a good team of people, especially aerodynamically," Button said, when asked by AUTOSPORT if he was surprised Williams had been so competitive.
"They've done a great job and I'm happy for Frank and Claire to see them competitive.
"They've lost a lot of points this year through incidents or just not getting everything out of the car, which is good for us, because otherwise they'd be miles in front!"
"Their main aim is going to be being consistent and doing a good job as a team over the race weekend, because they've got the package to be very quick - it's just whether they can get the best out of it."
MASSA 'SURPRISED' BY WILLIAMS
New Williams signing Felipe Massa, who joined the Grove-based team from Ferrari over the winter, says the squad's sharp upturn in form has surprised the whole paddock.
"I think everybody is surprised that the car is very competitive, but what we did from the winter to now it's also very good," Massa said.
"It was very good from everybody on the technical side and all the information that we give to improve the car. We did a very good improvement.
"There is still a lot to do but I think everything is going really well in terms of development and I hope we can do more from here until the last race.
"For sure it was a little bit too much to think we could finish in the top three in the championship, [but] we can."
Previous article
Kimi Raikkonen insists he hasn't got slower amid 2014 F1 struggles
Next article
Pastor Maldonado says Lotus F1 team can regularly fight for points
Remembering Switzerland’s first F1 winner
Stepping up to F1 in 1962, Jo Siffert shone with Rob Walker Racing Team and BRM before his career was abruptly ended in a fatal crash at Brands Hatch in 1971. Kevin Turner looked back at the life of Switzerland's first F1 winner on the 50th anniversary of his death
What Verstappen is risking with his current stance on 2021 F1 world title defeat
OPINION: Max Verstappen is back in the lead of the 2021 Formula 1 drivers’ championship, with the season’s final flyaway events set to get underway in the USA this weekend. But a defensive stance he’s recently adopted could have a lasting impact for the Red Bull driver when it comes to his chances of defeating Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
The hidden Ferrari struggle that Sainz’s recent charge put to rest
Despite appearing to adjust to life as a Ferrari driver with relative ease, it was far from straightforward under the surface for Carlos Sainz Jr. But, having made breakthroughs in rather different routes at the Russian and Turkish races, he’s now targeting even greater feats for the rest of the Formula 1 season
The final throes of Brazil's fleetingly successful F1 team
Emerson Fittipaldi is better remembered for his Formula 1 world championships and Indianapolis 500 successes than for the spell running his eponymous F1 team. Despite a hugely talented roll call of staff, it was a period of internal strife, limited funding and few results - as remembered by Autosport's technical consultant
Why McLaren's expanding agenda will benefit its F1 resurgence
In the 1960s and 1970s, McLaren juggled works entries in F1, sportscars and the Indy 500 while building cars for F3 and F2. Now it’s returning to its roots, expanding into IndyCars and Extreme E while continuing its F1 renaissance. There’s talk of Formula E and WEC entries too. But is this all too much, too soon? STUART CODLING talks to the man in charge
How Tsunoda plans to achieve his F1 potential
Yuki Tsunoda arrived in grand prix racing amid a whirlwind of hype, which only increased after his first race impressed the biggest wigs in Formula 1. His road since has been rocky and crash-filled, and OLEG KARPOV asks why Red Bull maintains faith in a driver who admits he isn’t really that big a fan of F1?
The danger of reading too much into F1's clickbait radio messages
OPINION: After Lewis Hamilton responded to reports labelling him 'furious' with Mercedes following his heated exchanges over team radio during the Russian Grand Prix, it provided a snapshot on how Formula 1 broadcasting radio snippets can both illuminate and misrepresent the true situation
Why F1’s approach to pole winners with grid penalties undermines drivers
OPINION: Valtteri Bottas is credited with pole position for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, despite being beaten in qualifying. This is another example of Formula 1 and the FIA scoring an own goal by forgetting what makes motorsport magic, with the Istanbul race winner also a victim of this in the championship’s recent history
