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The Williams Formula 1 team has impressed its former driver Jenson Button by how competitive it has been so far this season.



Williams finished a distant ninth in last year's constructors' championship, scoring just five points across the campaign, but has bounced back brilliantly in 2014 - racking up 135 points in 11 races and fighting with Ferrari for third in the standings.



McLaren driver Button, who made his F1 debut with Williams in 2000, reckons the Grove-based squad is enjoying the benefits of smart investment by its management ahead of the sport's rules shift over the winter.



"I think they've put a lot of effort into doing well this year. They've spent a lot of resources on getting a good team of people, especially aerodynamically," Button said, when asked by AUTOSPORT if he was surprised Williams had been so competitive.



"They've done a great job and I'm happy for Frank and Claire to see them competitive.



"They've lost a lot of points this year through incidents or just not getting everything out of the car, which is good for us, because otherwise they'd be miles in front!"



"Their main aim is going to be being consistent and doing a good job as a team over the race weekend, because they've got the package to be very quick - it's just whether they can get the best out of it."



MASSA 'SURPRISED' BY WILLIAMS



New Williams signing Felipe Massa, who joined the Grove-based team from Ferrari over the winter, says the squad's sharp upturn in form has surprised the whole paddock.



"I think everybody is surprised that the car is very competitive, but what we did from the winter to now it's also very good," Massa said.



"It was very good from everybody on the technical side and all the information that we give to improve the car. We did a very good improvement.



"There is still a lot to do but I think everything is going really well in terms of development and I hope we can do more from here until the last race.



"For sure it was a little bit too much to think we could finish in the top three in the championship, [but] we can."