After topping the timesheets on the first day of the second pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Felipe Massa hopes Williams can challenge for podium finishes in the upcoming season.
The Brazilian enjoyed a successful day in Barcelona, circulating 168 times, the joint-highest total, and was fastest, a tenth-clear of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo in third.
The 11-time grand prix winner admits Mercedes is too far ahead at this current stage but hopes to be fighting for top three finishes like in 2014.
“I think we wait and see. Mercedes has showed already amazing speed last week,” Massa told reporters in Spain.
“Everything they are doing they show to be very competitive and I don’t think we are in the same level as Mercedes. But I think if we can fight, and have a great fight and maybe fighting for podiums it’s definitely a great night. We need to wait and see in Australia.”
Williams went into the second week in Barcelona on the backfoot after Massa’s new team-mate Lance Stroll had several offs which damaged the FW40.
The 35-year-old says it is crucial the team do not lose any more days of running ahead of the season opener in Melbourne on March 26.
“I think to be honest, always when you lose a day it’s not great,” Massa added
“Maybe something that we’ve did today we could have done last week so it was not possible. But we managed to do a lot more today, we managed to get some good feelings on the car, we managed to see that the car is reliable, which is very important.
“For sure when you lose days and the car is not running for reliability issues then all this stuff is more negative, so I don’t really think it was that negative for us. We still have three days in front, we haven’t got many parts, so we need to try to keep everything we can, which is so easy to go off. I managed to go off once today, luckily nothing happened but we need to try to keep doing what I did today in all of these days which will be definitely great for the team.”
