Williams Concerned with BAR's Pace

Williams-BMW bosses admitted that BAR-Honda's performance in the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday has left them concerned about their own achievements since the start of this season.

The Grove-based team had expected to challenge Ferrari this year but have dropped off the pace while BAR have rapidly improved and are now contesting to be the 'best of the rest'.

Ferrari have secured impressive victories in all four races this season while Williams, third equal with BAR in the championship, are now 37 points down on their Italian rivals' 64-point haul.

And Williams technical director Patrick Head said: "It was not a very encouraging performance from our point of view. We were hoping to be fully competitive with Ferrari this season but it has just not happened.

"You have to say that Jenson [Button] and BAR have taken a step closer to Ferrari this season and that means that we all have to make another step to catch up as well. That is what we are planning to do."

But Michelin motorsport director Pierre Dupasquier now admits that BAR, who joined Michelin from Bridgestone at the end of last year, is the team making the most advances this season.

And Head, whose team have not won the title since 1997, added: "The fact that there are two other Michelin teams who are pretty equal to us and making improvements has made matters more difficult.