Williams boys upbeat for Austria

Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher are sticking to their line that Williams will be in a better position to take on Ferrari at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix than it was in Barcelona just over a week ago

The British team's BMW engines are expected to give Montoya and Schumacher a good shot at victory on the long straights of the A1-Ring.

Montoya said: "We showed strongly there last year, even though Ralf and I failed to score a point due to technical problems when we were both running in good positions. I am pretty confident that in Austria we will be quite strong, certainly stronger than in Barcelona, so I am looking forward to it."

Schumacher added: "I said before the Spanish GP - and nothing has changed since - that we will be closer to Ferrari in Austria, simply because the circuit suits our car.

"We have some new parts which should make us more competitive on the A1-Ring with its long straights and high speed corners. I hope after Barcelona everybody from our team - including myself - has done their homework well. Then we will have paved the way to a successful weekend."

Montoya trails Ferrari's Michael Schumacher by 21 points in the drivers' championship. Ralf is three points further back in third.