Williams say they have no concerns that their inexperienced driver line-up will affect their performance in 2018, as they revealed images of their new car.
With Canadian Lance Stroll and Russian rookie Sergey Sirotkin, they have the least experienced line-up on the grid.
“If we didn’t think they would do the job, we wouldn’t put them in the car,” team boss Claire Williams said.
She added: “As a team, the constructors’ championship is the most important thing.”
Both drivers bring substantial sponsorship budgets to the team, but Williams pointed out that Stroll, 19, scored only three points fewer than experienced team-mate Felipe Massa last season.
Stroll became the youngest man in history to score a podium finish and qualify on the front row, but was generally significantly slower than Massa during the season.
Russian Sirotkin, 22, was Renault’s reserve driver last year and won the Williams drive after impressing the team in a post-season test in Abu Dhabi last November.
Williams said she was “excited” about the season ahead.
“It’s always quite nerve-wracking when you bring in a new talent,” the deputy team principal said. “But we have been doing it for years now and they have always paid off.
“Sergey did a phenomenal job for us at the Abu Dhabi test and I think he is going to surprise a lot of people this year.
“Lance has been working really hard over the winter to make sure he delivers an even better performance for us than last year.
“I have no question in my mind that they can deliver for the year this year.”
Williams additionally denied that the cash Sirotkin and Stroll would bring was the primary factor in the decision.
“Our decision-making process is so much more complex than just deciding to put a driver into the race seat because they have some cash,” she said.
“Yes, we are an independent team, and yes, sponsorship is really difficult to come by these days… so clearly if a driver has some financial backing then that is an added bonus, but it’s not the foundation for a decision-making process at Williams.”
Williams completed fifth last season and new specialized boss Paddy Lowe, who moved from title holders Mercedes early a year ago, said they planned to have made a considerably more focused auto this season.
He is one of various new driving architects at the group, including previous Ferrari and Renault aerodynamicist Dirk De Beer.
Lowe said he trusted the group had made “some decent strides” with the new FW41.
Lowe recognized the danger looked by expected enhanced exhibitions from McLaren, following their change to Renault motors from Honda, and the industrial facility Renault group.
