Williams believes it has made a step forward with its troublesome FW42 but is unsure whether that progress will be reflected in this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The team lagged well over a second per lap slower than the next-slowest team in the first four rounds of the season. However at the last race in Spain they reduced that deficit to less than half a second

Williams also had the chance to develop the car further in the two-day test which took place at the Circuit de Catalunya last week.

“Following the race and test in Barcelona we believe that we have improved the performance of the FW42 and increased our understanding of the car and the tyres,” said senior race engineer Dave Robson.

“Whether this will show or not in Monaco is unclear due to the unique nature of the Monte Carlo circuit and unpredictable local climate.”

The team is yet to score a point this year but Monaco could offer them an opportunity, said Robson.

“We look forward to the challenge of Monaco knowing that we will need to make some changes to the car to suit this circuit and knowing how important it is to develop the drivers’ confidence over the course of the weekend.

“We also know that Monaco can spring a few surprises and we will be ready to use our excellent reliability and pit stop performance to exploit any opportunities that arise.”

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2019 F1 season