Williams F1's Pat Symonds says big update packages 'old fashioned'

Traditionally the first race of the European season in Spain and the first race after the summer break featured major upgrades on many cars.

But teams are increasingly focusing on bringing smaller updates more often, with the likes of Force India's B-spec car's debut in Britain and Williams's raft of updates in Austria exceptions to the rule.

"Austria was a bit of anomaly in a way," Symonds told AUTOSPORT.

"We don't work in a world of upgrade packages - that's old fashioned.

"It just so happened we had a number of components which happened to fit together in Austria.

"It was something as simple as having a new rear wing that wouldn't fit with the old floor, so the new floor had to come into the same time.

"It turned into a package, it was the way it worked out, but the general trend is to bring a little bit at each race and that is what we intend to do from herein."

A strong development rate was crucial to Williams's resurgent 2014 F1 season and it also made steady gains through this season, with positive correlation between the windtunnel and the track.

With nine races still to go, Symonds says Williams plans to continuing developing the current car, especially as the work can prove useful for next year's machine.

"We have plenty to come yet and have plenty already sitting in the pipeline which has been signed off and is just going through the final bits and pieces," said Symonds.

"There is still windtunnel time allocated and there is still work going on in vehicle dynamics.

"Because we don't have big upheaval between 2015 and 2016, there is a lot of evolutionary work we can do which will still be relevant. I expect us to keep pushing."

But he added that the main focus was now on next season's car.

"Our first 2016 design meeting was in January," he said. "That is point one.

"Point two is the day after the end of the season when you know everyone is working on next year's car and then there's a transition point somewhere in between.

"The point depends on a number of things, like your prospects and your position in the championship.

"It's a process we go through and it's adaptable but obviously now, there is more focus on the new car rather than the old car. We've passed that part of the transition."