Montoya believes Williams are in good shape this year

The Colombian says Williams are much better prepared than in 2003.

"I am very confident. I think the FW26 will be competitive straightaway, while last year's car needed a lot of work to get the most out of it," he said.

Montoya said he believed Ferrari and McLaren would be Williams' main rivals, but Renault and BAR would also do well.

Team-mate Ralf Schumacher said he shared Montoya's views.

Montoya, 28, said he was not worried about the new rule demanding teams use only one engine per race weekend because the BMW V10 had been reliable over the winter.

Teams face being moved 10 places down the grid if they change an engine before qualifying, and to the back if they do so after it.

I envisage the engine producing more than 900bhp this year Mario Theissen BMW motorsport director

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said: Over the winter we completed a very intensive test programme in preparation for the new season.

"From the outset, it became clear that the fundamentals of the P84 [engine] were right, so from there it was a case of endurance testing to ensure the engine's lifespan could conform to the new regulations.

"During winter testing, we successfully completed a number of simulated race weekends, ie covering 800km in realistic conditions.

"Starting development early has paid off, although we still have to be prepared for any surprises, including excessive heat, or failed starts, for example, which cannot be adequately represented in testing.

"As for the engine's performance, we have made good headway in this as well.

"During the concept phase for the one engine per weekend rule, we were anticipating a shortfall of power by up to 10%.

"However, I envisage reaching our maximum output levels we achieved in 2003 this year, in other words over 900 bhp. In conclusion, we feel well equipped for the start of the new season."