If Williams is a force in 2014, almost the entire paddock will celebrate the return of an F1 great.<\/p>\n
The newly Mercedes-powered team, having once dominated the sport but not won a title since 1997, has looked a dark horse contender for 2014 during pre-season testing.<\/p>\n
Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, now wearing the iconic Martini stripes of Williams’ new title sponsor, set the fastest time during the eight test days in Bahrain.<\/p>\n
“Nobody has a bad word to say about Felipe or Williams,” former team driver David Coulthard told the Daily Mail.<\/p>\n
“It’s great for formula one,” he said.\u00a0 “Massa is a very popular driver across the world, and Frank Williams has formed a popular team.”<\/p>\n
The newly F1-retired Mark Webber was lured to Williams in 2005 off the back of its “deep roots”, but his two-year tenure was at the start of the slump.<\/p>\n
The Australian said he would be delighted if Williams’ pre-season form was replicated at the grands prix this year.<\/p>\n
“It would be brilliant for them to be reliable and strong,” he told the Telegraph.<\/p>\n
“It would be good, really good, for Frank and everyone, they’ve been through a tough time but they are a good team,” added Webber.<\/p>\n
Some of F1’s big hitters, notably Red Bull, are not happy that the regulations have changed so greatly.<\/p>\n
Williams, however, is thrilled.<\/p>\n
“Regulation changes of this magnitude often disrupt the order and create opportunities for teams to make a leap forward,” Sir Frank Williams said on Thursday as the new Martini-livery was unveiled in London, according to La Presse.<\/p>\n
But his daughter Claire, the deputy team boss, is not expecting world champions Red Bull to be down for long.<\/p>\n
“I would be gobsmacked if Red Bull did not (catch up),” she is quoted by the BBC.<\/p>\n
“We go to Australia in a good position but we really have to take advantage of the first few races,” Claire Williams added.<\/p>\n
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