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The Williams Formula 1 team's Singapore Grand Prix upgrade package should bring it back on terms with Ferrari, reckons its head of performance engineering Rob Smedley.

Williams ended up with a podium for Felipe Massa in the Italian GP at Monza, but was helped by Nico Rosberg's engine failure and Kimi Raikkonen's poor start, having trailed Mercedes and Ferrari on pace.

Although Smedley acknowledged that Ferrari appeared to have moved a step clear of Williams in Italy, he believes the gap will close again in Singapore.

"I think Ferrari showed great pace," he said.

"They've done a really, really good job.

"They brought a new power unit which delivered in qualifying and the race.

"What we need to do now is to react to that. We've got some fairly healthy upgrades coming in Singapore.

"We just have to react, we have to keep bringing what we can bring in all the areas and we can't stand still.

"I'm hoping that with the changes we're going to make, we're going to be back on par with them in Singapore."

Smedley declined to elaborate on the nature of the Singapore upgrades.

"We don't really talk about that, we're bringing upgrades to the car in all the areas all the time," he said.

"Formula 1's a strange business - you often look at it and say you've brought a new front wing and a new rear wing and new bodywork and a new floor and all of it might add up to [the same effect as] a front wing change that you make three races down the line.

"It's not the quantity of components, it's how much laptime it brings."

Williams currently trails second-placed Ferrari by 82 points in the constructors' championship.

FERRARI VS WILLIAMS 2015

Williams went into 2015 optimistic that it could maintain its late-2014 status as Mercedes' closest challenger, but found itself usurped by the improved Ferrari.

Here's how the 'best of the rest' battle has played out.

Top Ferrari compared to top Williams in 2015 grands prix so far

AUSTRALIA

Qualifying - Williams ahead: 3 Massa, 4 Vettel + 0.039s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 4 Massa +3.673s

MALAYSIA

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 2 Vettel, 7 Massa +2.565s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 1 Vettel, 5 Bottas +1m10.409s

CHINA

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 4 Massa +0.267s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 5 Massa +5.556s

BAHRAIN

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 2 Vettel, 5 Bottas +0.399s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 2 Raikkonen, 4 Bottas +39.577s

SPAIN

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 4 Bottas +0.236s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 4 Bottas +13.875s

MONACO

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 12 Massa +1.429s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 2 Vettel, 14 Bottas +41.303s

CANADA

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 3 Raikkonen, 4 Bottas +0.088s

Race - Williams ahead: 3 Bottas, 4 Raikkonen +4.959s

AUSTRIA

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 4 Massa +0.382s

Race - Williams ahead: 3 Massa, 4 Vettel +0.608s

BRITAIN

Qualifying - Williams ahead: 3 Massa, 5 Raikkonen +0.294s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 4 Massa +11.396s

HUNGARY

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 3 Vettel, 6 Bottas +0.483s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 1 Vettel, 12 Massa +1m14.278s

BELGIUM

Qualifying - Williams ahead: 3 Bottas, 8 Vettel +0.288s

Race - Williams ahead: 6 Massa, 7 Raikkonen +0.420s

ITALY

Qualifying - Ferrari ahead: 2 Raikkonen, 5 Massa +0.309s

Race - Ferrari ahead: 2 Vettel, 3 Massa +22.593s