Williams: Being jumped by Ferrari F1 team in 2015 "hurts"

Ferrari ended 2014 winless and fourth in the constructors' championship before bouncing back after a strong winter to finish second with three wins behind Mercedes this time.

Williams, which has F1's fifth-biggest budget, was third in 2014 and consolidated that position this term, with Ferrari ahead and Red Bull dropping back to fourth.

"Ferrari have obviously moved the most, it's something like 0.3 per cent behind us to 0.3 per cent ahead of us, so that one hurts," Symonds told Autosport.

"Red Bull haven't changed that much. The fact was last year, on the three occasions that Mercedes failed, it was Red Bull who was there to pick up the pieces.

"There could have been three other races where they had failed and it would have been Williams picking up the pieces. It's just one of those things.

"Of course, they haven't been that fortunate this year and neither have we.

"Ferrari have won a couple of races on sheer pace but I don't think at Williams we should be at all disheartened by our season.

"People feel we were closer last year at the end of the season, which is probably true.

"But relative to Mercedes up until Monza, we were really holding the one per cent that we were on average behind them at the end of last season.

"In Monza, they took a power advantage and we have dropped away a little bit.

"It's a good season and a damn good base to work from."

While there was euphoria when Williams finished third in the constructors' championship last year, celebrations for the same result were more muted this season.

But Symonds argues the performance was in many ways better than the previous year.

"Last year, the team had gone through a decade of dropping and dropping so third was like a championship to them," he said.

"But it raises everyone's game and everyone wants to move forward so on reality, consolidating third place is an even greater achievement.

"Winning a world championship, it's great but if you have a bad year the following year, you feel terrible about it.

"Whereas, if you win again, you say 'right I've proved that wasn't a fluke'.

"I'm really pleased that most of the staff are not terribly happy with it. It's a good thing."