Williams can catch Ferrari for second in F1 standings - Rob Smedley

Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas ran first and second early in the Silverstone F1 race, as Williams outpaced Ferrari for most of the weekend.

Though its drivers ultimately finished fourth and fifth, after struggling in wet conditions, the car's pace in the dry gave Williams hope it can erase the 60-point deficit to Ferrari.

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"We are constantly bringing new bits to every grand prix in all areas of the car," said the team's performance chief Smedley.

"The team is developing the car in small incremental steps and there is more to come.

"We are trying more and more to put ourselves into a more favourable position as we want to try and get second position in the championship - that is our target now."

Bottas believes Mercedes is too far ahead for Williams to think about, but agrees with Smedley that Ferrari can be caught.

"I'm quite pleased with the gap to the Ferrari," said the Finn.

"We were quicker than them in qualifying for the first time this season.

"The gap to Mercedes was expected, we knew they would be quick so it is not really a surprise.

"But this is racing. We are not giving up. You never know what can happen.

"We need to make sure we're up there to pick up the pieces."

The high-speed nature of Silverstone played to Williams's strength whereas the tight and twisty layout of Budapest's Hungaroring will provide more of a challenge in the next grand prix later this month.

Smedley knows the team must work on low-speed pace if it is to achieve its aim.

"We know we are still missing a bit in the low speed and we are big enough to hold hands up and say that is the case," he said.

"We're looking at all sorts of ways of recuperating that.

"It's looking at clever ways of developing the car, innovative ways let's say, so we can continue development of high-speed but at same time accelerate development of low-speed.

"What we absolutely cannot do is take our eye off the ball in the areas we are good. We can't trade off.

"We have to improve the areas where we are weak, while at same time improving the areas where we are strong."

Williams has outscored Ferrari in the last three grands prix, although it has only gained 17 points across that run, 13 of them from its third and fifth places in Austria.

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