Webber not expecting Williams resurgence

Alexander Wurz and Nico Rosberg have both shone in the new FW29 during testing at Jerez and Barcelona, as a reshuffle at their technical department appears already to be paying off on the track.

But Webber, speaking to the Melbourne Herald Sun, has said he does not share the belief that Williams will be much improved this year.

"It looks tough for them, it really does," Webber said. "They might have new engines, but not a lot has changed in the structure, so there's no real reason why the results should be any different for them this year.

"I thought I would go to Williams and then finish my career at Williams, but it was a tough gig for the credibility of a lot of people. That's what happens when there's such a huge drop in form."

Webber believes that Williams' close relationship with Toyota may also be a hindrance - because he thinks they would be unlikely to be allowed to beat the factory team regularly.

"Of course Williams is a Toyota B team," claimed Webber. "There will be denials, but there is a feeling and a perception that a B team is actually how it is now.

"I'm sure they will be working hard to beat Toyota, but Toyota in Japan will obviously prefer any success to come to the factory team."

And Webber thinks the ultimate thing holding Williams back are the team's finances - with independent teams being unable to generate the kind of money that the manufacturer outfits have available.

"Williams' finances are stretched. We have a Bahrain test at the end of the month which will be good. Williams can't go because of its finances," Webber said.

"Williams has still got great resources at the factory and that's why it's so hard to believe what's happened there.

"When we launched last year's car, we just had nothing on it that was interesting to give you a step forward compared to the other guys, you know, mechanically or aerodynamically."

But Williams technical director Sam Michael has denied any suggestion that the decision to skip the Bahrain test was because of money.

"We are not doing Bahrain because our new car is out too late and we didn't want to send it somewhere so far away," he said. "If we had any problems it is very difficult for us to react to it.

"It does mean when we get to a hot weather track we won't have had as much running on these tyres as other teams, but we are pretty sure we know what is going to happen to them.

"And because of the extended Friday practice in Melbourne, that is going to give you more of a shot of it as well."