Scheckter Sees Williams Closing the Gap

The Williams team will catch up with Formula One leaders Ferrari and McLaren soon, former world champion Jody Scheckter predicted on Thursday.

Champions Ferrari and runner-up McLaren between them won all 17 of the Grands Prix last season and South African Scheckter was asked at an international motorsport show about the domination of two teams.

"It's really always been like that," the 1979 Ferrari world champion, whose son Tomas is now test driver for the Jaguar team, replied.

"My guess is that Williams will be up running with those guys fairly soon. At that level, there's always two or three teams up there and the others can't keep up."

Williams, with engine-maker BMW returning to Formula One, finished a distant third in the 2000 championship with just 36 points to McLaren's 152 and Ferrari's 170.

The British team won nine constructors' titles and seven drivers' crowns between 1980 and 1997 but have not been higher than third since then.

Williams last won a Grand Prix in 1997.

Scheckter also reminisced briefly about the old days of Formula One, singling out the late British world champion James Hunt as the character of his day.

"He was really a pop star racing driver. He did some embarrassing things but when he was champion he got away with them," he said.

"(Jaguar's) Eddie Irvine comes the closest to that now but you've got layers of people between you and the outside world and it's all watered down."