Smedley: Williams must get closer to Mercedes and Ferrari

This first part of the season does not meet your expectations…

We expected a little better, it's true. After the Australian and Bahrain Grands Prix, we reviewed the suspension and aero settings so that the latest developments made to the car could reach their full potential. We haven't always obtained the points we could have claimed since then, but our pace is reasonable.

Can your 3rd place in the 2016 championship still be defended?

Difficult. For the moment, we are the 4th force on the field with a growing gap on our pursuers, but that is not our objective. We look ahead and not behind. Fourth, it's not good. In Canada, we beat Red Bull because our car was better, and the next trips to Spielberg and Silverstone should be favorable to us. Our ambition is to get closer to Mercedes et Ferrari, stables with much greater resources…

Discover the full interview with Rob Smedley and the analysis of the European Grand Prix in Baku in issue 2068 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on kiosks.