Rubens Barrichello believes his Williams FW32 is a dark horse for success in 2010.
Talking to reporters after today’s test at the Circuit de Catalunya he said:
The main topic of the first three tests, at Valencia and Jerez, was to absolutely nail reliability. And we have done that very, very well.
We knew we would have a different car here, the bits are not fully on the car just yet, so there’ll be bits coming for Bahrain just like normal. But I’m quite happy with the progress we have made.
We have improved a good second from Valencia. I think Williams-Cosworth can be one of the teams to surprise this year.
Rubens Barrichello
But he also cautioned against reading too much into testing times:
Nico’s time yesterday was the very first time we tried low fuel in the car and for the very first time we surprised a few people. So all of a sudden Williams is being talked about in the paddock.
But like I said this winter it is very easy to become the hero of the test. If I took fuel out every test I would have been first in every test. At Bahrain we’ll talk again but it’s really hard to know where people are.
I have no prediction for who’s going to win in Bahrain because I just don’t have an idea. You see Ferrari is going fast but everyone is very, very close. So I think it’s going to be nice because nobody can say “yes, I have a competitive car.”
Rubens Barrichello
Along with Michael Schumacher, Barrichello is one of only two drivers to have raced in F1 before refuelling was made legal in 1994. But he doesn’t expect that will give him an advantage this year:
I don’t think so. I think that cars were very different [in 1993].
Even though we consider this year that we hve to look after the tyres, in Formula 1 nowadays conserving the tyres is out of the question, you want to go flat out. Testing has been quite intense to try to go flat out all the way though. In ’93 we were looking after tyres, it was different. I think although it’s only February it’s intense – we’ve been doing 500km, 600km, 700km per day which is not normal.
So I would say it’s different times, the young kids have learned very fast what they need, they’ve been doing starts on high fuel, so I won’t have an advantage at the first race.
Rubens Barrichello
He also praised the work done by Cosworth on the new CA2010 engine Williams will use this year:
The Cosworth is working very well. You can see we have put lots of miles on engines this winter and we congratulate them for what they have done so far because we’ve done a lot of exercises with the engine, they cured one of the problems we had at the very first test in Valencia so we were happy in Jerez with the power.
Obviously it’s a new engine so drive-ability and some small issues need to be recovered and that’s what we’re testing. But I’m quite confident that we as Williams-Cosworth are bonding and I think we can have a good championship.
J.A. Summers
27th February 2010, 21:39
It would be awesome! I love Barrichello, the dinosaur, and I also like Williams, so I would feel really good for them if they finally had some succes this year.
Giuliano Vilela
27th February 2010, 22:10
Sorry, dinosaur? :D
Calum
27th February 2010, 21:41
I hope they win this year, poor Frank’s waited long enough. However, F1 is not a “sympathy” sport so if they have done enough in the off season, they will get their just rewards on the track.
Icthyes
28th February 2010, 2:50
Despite their position on things in F1’s recent past I still have a soft spot for the Williams team (though less and less with Sir Frank and Patrick Head themselves), but if talk is to be believed their attitude during the partnership with BMW may be most to blame for having been away from the top for so long. Still, wouldn’t it be great to see a Williams win again? If only it was with a Renault in the back ;-)
steph
27th February 2010, 22:11
Well Rubens managed a podium in the wet at Silverstone in a dog of a Honda so maybe if the right circumstances arrive something special could happen. It’s very unlikely of course but nothing is ever impossible
his_majesty
28th February 2010, 19:27
Not to mention 11 time winner. They may have all come when he was in a great car, but they don’t put trash drivers in great cars either. Lets hope for a win!!
Aleksandar Serbia
27th February 2010, 22:13
He did only one thing wrong, not to make a supercar! With the names that drove for him and the success of past years, he should have capitalized on that, now he has only one stream of income.
Such a shame, if he goes bust, they will re brand him and start like they did with Brawn!
Nobody will re brand a Lotus or Mclaren, too much real car making heritage there!
Jarred Walmsley
27th February 2010, 22:50
Now theres an idea, a Williams road car
rossi
27th February 2010, 23:24
never thought of this before,but i think your spot on with that, come on frank theres still time left.
Ben
28th February 2010, 3:20
Williams have worked with companies before on road cars, Renault Clio Williams etc back in the early 90’s. They also worked with BMW to create an LMP1 car around 2000 which won Le Mans (if I recall correctly).
They also have Williams Hybrid Power who are an engineering company developing hybrid power trains – which was just used by Porsche to create a hybrid car for endurance racing.
Oliver
28th February 2010, 7:14
But if for some reason the supercar fails, it might take the whole of Williams with it.
Aleksandar Serbia
28th February 2010, 13:06
Who is Williams, a high tech team with latest tech on sophisticated gadgetry or a garage team, occasionally racing!
This is F1 not Rodney Trotter racing!
Phil
28th February 2010, 13:13
Absolute rubbish. Williams has only ever existed to be a racing team. That is their often stated raison d’etre and I for one am very glad it is. Pure sport, no brand dilution, they are only there for the sheer fun of racing. He’s only ever had one stream of income, the money hFrank sweats blood to get from sponsors, purely to go racing. He’s not done badly has he, despite competing with Ferrari and their squillions from FIAT over the years? Or McLaren and their Marlboro-millions. I’ve been a fan for 30 years, through thick and thin. Frank and Patrick, good luck to you for this year.
MEmo
28th February 2010, 0:38
It´d be great if they´d beat Ferry, Macca, Bully and Merc…
wasiF1
28th February 2010, 2:02
I hope this time Rubens get a good car & some good result.
Scribe
28th February 2010, 13:41
Well, Williams is looking strong for best of the rest but I have a hard time imagining them grabbing a top 4 position. F1 is looking alittle like the premiership at the moment, (although not this year) with the big 4 at the top walking off with everything and the rest fighting for the scraps.
PJA
1st March 2010, 11:53
I would love Williams to win a race and be back competing at the front consistently but sadly I just don’t see it happening this year.
Chaz
3rd March 2010, 17:17
I sincerely hope Rubens is correct…