Motor racing-Williams play down expectations on new car debut

Former champions Williams gave their new FW31 Formula One car its track debut on Monday while keeping the lid firmly on expectations for the season ahead.

"We don't go in there feeling confident about anything," technical director Sam Michael told Reuters at the new Algarve Motor Park circuit when asked whether he was more upbeat than in previous years.

"The Williams way is to be pessimistic and make sure we cover all our bases. Under-expect and over-deliver is the best way."

Williams, winners of 113 grands prix and nine constructors' championships, last tasted victory at the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix after finishing 2003 as overall runners-up in the standings.

The Toyota-powered team slumped to eighth last season, the position they occupied in 2006 before climbing to fourth in 2007 when McLaren were stripped of all their points for a spying controversy.

Michael said Williams had taken a self-imposed penalty last season by deciding to switch the focus to the 2009 car at an early stage due to the significant rule changes being introduced.

The aim was to get a head start on their rivals and reap the rewards at a time when all teams, despite very different budgets, had to go back to the drawing board.

"Our target is always to get back to the front. We've been a winning team before and we want to get back there again," said the Australian.

"How far we go is all relative. If all the teams have done the same job as us, plus a bit more, we will stay where we are."

RELATIVE GAME

"Formula One is a relative game, but our aspirations are to make sure we're respectable in the current climate," added Michael, whose team have retained their line-up of Germany's Nico Rosberg and Japan's Kazuki Nakajima.

"We're a privately-owned team and we've got to make sure we do things efficiently and try and gain on other people using efficiencies that they can't achieve. That's what we try and do all the time.

"So in terms of where our target finishing position is, we don't sit there and have that as a target. We just try and do the best job we can."

German test driver Nico Hulkenberg was entrusted with the first laps in the new car on a rainy morning, completing 17 before aquaplaning on the wet track and spinning off.

The dark blue car, covered with a tarpaulin, returned to the pits on the back of a truck but Michael said the damage was nothing to worry about.

This season sees the introduction of the new KERS system, which provides the cars with a burst of extra power by recovering energy generated under braking.

However, the system is not mandatory and some teams have said already that they could start the season without it.

Michael said Williams had developed two versions, one with a flywheel and the other with a battery, and would be testing both for speed and reliability before making a decision whether to use either.

"We are still backing both routes," said Michael. "The jury is still out on whether we start with it or not, not so much from a performance point of view, but more about reliability.

"It's about making sure we get all the reliability work done. That's the big challenge."