Villeneuve: Webber victim of own ability

That is the view of former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who believes that Webber's racing abilities may not be enough when it comes down to seizing the opportunity to grab that maiden victory.

"The problem is if you spend too many years in a car that can't win, the day you're in one that can, you're not used to it," he told Australian media on Monday.

"He's an amazing qualifier and he's also a strong racer. But his qualifying is so good that it makes his racing look not so good when it actually is."

The hype surrounding Webber ahead of his home Grand Prix is building up, especially because it is the first time in his career that he is heading into the Melbourne event with a real chance of fighting for the podium.

Williams have been one of the surprises of the year with their Cosworth-powered FW28 - although Villeneuve believes that the team's best hopes of taking a shock win are at the start of the year.

"It will be difficult for them, because during the season the level of development [at Williams] cannot keep up with the manufacturers," added the BMW-Sauber driver.

"But Williams has certainly started the season a lot more competitive than anyone expected ... but I think the longer the season goes, the more difficult they'll find it."