Williams now ripe to win - Bottas

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Valtteri Bottas is confident Williams can return to the winner's circle this season and end its race-winning drought.

The Grove-based squad enjoyed its last F1 triumph in 2012, when Pastor Maldonado unexpectedly won the Spanish Grand Prix. But it's been over 12 years since Williams was a consistent winner in Grand Prix racing.

A week before the 2016 season gets underway in Melbourne, Valtteri Bottas believes his team now has all the right ingredients to return to the top step.

"Of course we want to win, and as a team our goal is to do better than last year," said the Finn.

"I think it is possible and I think we can do it. We've been getting stronger all the time as a team and the new car we have improved from last year, so it's going to be close this year. We have high hopes."

Williams finished third last year in the Constructors championship behind Mercedes and Ferrari. Based on its positive results from pre-season testing in Barcelona, the team's FW38 contender will be a force to be reckoned with.

Bottas' team mate, Felipe Massa, echoed the Finn's ambitions.

"We did some good lap times in Barcelona, some consistent long runs as well and we're working really hard to get close to Mercedes and Ferrari.

"I am totally with Valtteri. We want to win, we want more, and we want to put this car on top."

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