Williams 'will be back' says Head

Technical director Patrick Head has vowed that Williams will rediscover its winning ways and return to the summit of Formula One

The team which has won a record nine constructors' titles has not triumphed in a race since Jacques Villeneuve's victory at the Luxembourg Grand Prix in September 1997.

They currently languish in the manufacturers' championship with just seven points.

But Head, who has refused to blame drivers Ralf Schumacher and Alex Zanardi for their current plight, has warned their rivals to expect a fightback.

'We will be back,' said Head. 'We will sort it out.

'All I can say is that we are not happy with the level of performance we have at the moment. The only way to make that better is to identify problems in the car and put them right.

'The difference between us and McLaren is split pretty evenly between the engine and the chassis.

'I had expectations that this year's car would be a bigger step forward than it has proved to be so far. I still think the 1999 car is a considerable step forward from last year's.

'But it has a couple of specific problems. Once we overcome them we will make a good step forward during the rest of the year.

'If we do that we can make some progress. But I have no firm expectations for the races later in the year. The problem for us to get faster is not with the drivers, it's making the car better.

Head, whose team will switch from Supertec engines to BMW from next season, added, 'We have a sound engine, but it is not the most powerful engine in the pit-lane by a long way.'