Webber laments lack of race pace

The Williams driver, expecting to have a difficult weekend, had a tough qualifying and his pace did not improve in the race, where he finished in ninth place, one lap down.

Webber is now looking forward to a stronger Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks time.

"Our strategy today was similar to a lot of other people but we weren't quick enough here," said Webber. "Barcelona has been a tough venue for us all winter as well as the build up to this event and the race itself has been no different.

"Finishing one lap down isn't good, but everyone at Williams will be looking for a much more promising showing in Monte Carlo."

Teammate Nico Rosberg endured similar misfortune, and although the German driver managed to gain two places to finish 11th, he was still disappointed with the result.

"Formula One is different to GP2 where you could always have a fight where-ever you were in the race and quite often you might earn some points," he said. "But in Formula One it is different and sometimes you have races where you don't get any points, like today.

"The race didn't go too badly in overall terms as I improved from 13th on the grid to 11th at the finish. Unfortunately, there was a mistake in my second stop, so I fell behind Trulli, which cost time in the final stint.

"I couldn't get by him despite trying. I also had my first experience of being lapped in my career today and it is not a pleasant feeling! 

"However, the positive thing is that both Mark and I finished the race and now I am looking forward to Monaco, where we will have a fresh engine and where we should be strong. I was third there last year in GP2, and this is a good omen for me."