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Massa says Williams' development "much better" in 2017
Felipe Massa says Williams is doing a much better job of developing its F1 car this year, and is bringing updates though much faster than in the past.
Adam Cooper
Edited: May 11, 2017, 4:05 PM
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Massa says that under new technical boss Paddy Lowe the Grove team is much more "connected," with is various departments working in harmony to improve the car.
"I think to be honest what I saw in this team this year is completely different to what I saw in the last three years," Massa said on Thursday in Barcelona.
"In terms of the mentality for developing areas that we need to develop in. I see the team in a much more connected way of working together, in so many different areas, including aerodynamics.
"I believe we can have much better development during the season. The mentality, the working, is definitely completely different than what's happened in the last three years.
"I really believe that the working now is a lot more correct, intelligent, and a very good connection."
Massa agreed that Lowe has made a big contribution to the change.
"A lot - Paddy, [aero chief] Dirk de Beer, so many other people that were inside [the team] but something was missing. It was not really connected, and I think now people are trying to improve so many different areas that it was a problem.
"And definitely we're still at the beginning, so many things we need to do it, but the working is much different."
Massa says Williams has brought a big package of updates to Barcelona, but concedes that it's impossible to tell how it will impact the team's form relative to the opposition.
"We have different aerodynamic parts, so a little bit in the bodywork, and some parts around the car like brake ducts, some different upgrades in different areas of the car. How good it will be is impossible to answer now.
"It's quite a reasonable step, but you never know what the others are bringing. But for sure what we're bringing here, in the last years, maybe we'd bring after five months. It's definitely a completely different picture.
"For sure you have the new rules, and with the rules we have now the car will improve a lot more from the first race to the last race, but I think it's not just the rules, I think the working method is a lot better."
Massa doesn't expect to see the raft of upgrades elsewhere make any change to the picture at the front of the grid.
"To be honest I think this is just talking that you guys like to do. So I really don't see this raced completely different from what we saw in the last race, like a different team winning. I believe the fight will stay still from Ferrari and Mercedes.
"For sure it is a little bit better track for Red Bull than the last two races, so they can be a little bit closer to Ferrari and Mercedes. Many teams are bringing new parts for the car, including us."
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