Webber ready to win, says Head

Webber joined Williams last season after shining with the Jaguar team, and the Australian was tipped to have a great 2005 with the British squad.

But Williams struggled for pace for a big part of the year and Webber failed to achieve the results he expected.

At times, he was also overshadowed by teammate Nick Heidfeld, who scored the team's first podium of the season and the only pole position achieved.

Head admitted it would be a crucial year for both the team and Webber, but reckons the Australian could be ready to win races if the new FW28 unveiled today proves fast enough.

"I think it is a crucial year for Williams as well in many ways," said Head. "Going back to last year Mark joined us at the beginning of 2005, end of 2004, although we had a not very good year we won the last race of the year and the car was clearly competitive by the end of the year and Mark tested over the winter and was extremely quick in that car.

"When we came out and running with the FW27 at the beginning of 2005 we were not fully competitive. He had come to a team where he expected to have the opportunity to win and there he was struggling as hard as he could and not even see the lowest points position, and he certainly was quite disillusioned with his season at that time.

"But we sat down here and had a good chat with him and sorted a few things out with us and from then on the season got a lot better and by the end of the year. Mark's season got back on course from a good talk we had in the factory, not really us giving him a bollocking.

"It was just a good open talk and the bollocking was in both directions but it was a good straight open talk. The season got stronger and stronger for car performance and he goes into the second year. If the car is good enough he can win."

Team principal Frank Williams echoed Head's comments, praising Webber's raw speed.

"He is very, very quick," Williams said. "His qualifying laps in the car last year were truly remarkable and he is very determined. He is a very quick driver, and we need to give him better equipment than we gave him last year.

"Rightly or wrongly Grands Prix cars are fundamental to a driver's success."