Williams chairman Adam Parr insists the team is ready to bounce back from the worst season in their history last year.
New season brings renewed optimism in Grove-based team
Williams chairman Adam Parr insists the team is ready to bounce back from the worst season in their history last year.
Williams, the team that ruled Formula One for much of the 1990s, scored just five points in 2011.
But they approach the start of the new campaign with renewed optimism, in particular since the team have rekindled their previously successful relationship with engine supplier Renault.
New personnel have been hired, notably the man at the heart of the 'spygate' scandal of 2007 in Mike Coughlan, who has taken on the role of technical director.
Rubens Barrichello has departed, but in his place the team have recruited another equally personable Brazilian in Bruno Senna to partner Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado.
The South American duo bring with them considerable amounts of sponsorship money, much of which is key to the team's current net cash reserves of £29.2million, as announced last Friday.
"If we're not a damn sight better then there are going to be 500 people knocking at my door wanting to know why," Parr said. "We've had a very solid pre-season testing. We've achieved all of our targets in terms of key areas of improvement.
"What we don't know is how the competition is going, and it does look as if it's going to be competitive.
"In absolute terms, yes, we are better than we were last year; in relative terms we'll find out just how much better at the weekend, won't we?
"But our analysis indicates we're going to be competitive. We've done tremendous mileage - the equivalent of 18 races through testing.
"The drivers haven't put a foot wrong, and therefore we are as prepared as we'd like to be at this point in the season."
Williams have surely hit rock bottom and from there the only way is up, although Parr is refusing to specify any targets.
Progress
He added: "My goal is really simple - I want progress. That's all. And how far we go, I don't know, but I just want progress.
"I want to see that the hard work, the investment we've made, the new people that have added to the good group of people we already had, that all that together is demonstrated through better results.
"I don't make a point in having a specific target because we're simply doing our very best for the team. I just hope we get the results."
If they do come, it will be without the popular veteran in Barrichello, the most experienced driver in the history of F1 who enjoyed 19 seasons in the sport.
The 39-year-old has now switched to IndyCar as he bids to discover a new lease of life in motor sport, to which Parr said: "I'm thrilled for Rubens.
"It was an enormously difficult decision. We took a great deal of time to think about it. It was very difficult, but I must say he was very professional about it.
"I'm glad he's moved on and landed himself a race seat, and I know he'll do very well in IndyCar because he's a very talented driver, very hard working and very experienced."
