Grand prix legend Sir Frank Williams’ team are on the brink of a sensational breakthrough in the Formula One championship chase.

That’s the opinion of his new team recruit Rob Smedley, who, after eight years as race engineer with the Prancing Horse outfit, followed veteran driver Felipe Massa from Ferrari to Williams to resume an understanding and confidence the pair had built around each other.

Head of Vehicle Performance Smedley, blunt and outspoken and a master of man-management, has, much to owner Sir Frank’s delight, set his sights on the Mercedes target everybody in Formula One is aiming shoot down as they romp to what looks like an unassailable march to a championship triumph.

Sir Frank, who backed great Britons Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill to the world Formula One title, and did the same with French superstar Alain Prost and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, eagerly snapped up Smedley from the Italian giants in an effort to reverse the team’s run of failures since Villeneuve’s title win in 1997.

After that they dropped to near-rock bottom with a lucky one-off win in Spain for Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in 2012.

But, overall, the once all-conquering pedigree outfit slumped into insignificance and the disappointment of Sir Frank, wheelchair-bound from a car crash and spinal injury in France in 1986, was clear to see.

His blessing and the traces of recovery arrived in the shape of Smedley, superbly gifted and with engineering qualifications to envy.

Since then Brazilian Massa, 11 times a winner under Smedley’s guidance at Ferrari, and fast-rising star, Finnish newcomer Valterri Bottas, 25, have shocked their rivals with three podium places and one pole position.

Now they are looking forward with soaring confidence to racing in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa later this month and the Italian at Monza, early in September, two super-fast circuits.

“Both tracks will suit our cars,” says 40-year-old father-of-two Smedley, who promises to take the battle to title pacemakers and Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

It’s a view shared by Massa, who also feels Williams are a win waiting to happen.

“We have a competitive car and we are progressing. We can be winners,” he said.

“It will be a hard fight, but even victory is a possibility,” Smedley added, in a manner bound to boost the morale at Williams HQ.

Last season, the hard-pressed team, founded by Sir Frank in 1966, miserably struggled to score five points, an embarrassment for an outfit historically bathed in glory.

Already this campaign they are on 135, with the brilliant Bottas running fifth in the championship after two second places and a third, and looking faster and more threatening every outing.

Massa, too, has upped his game from his setbacks at Ferrari that accelerated his exit. Unfortunately for him a series of accidents, no fault of his own, have hampered his charge.

Smedley says: ”The ambition of our team is to win the world championship — and to do that you have to beat everybody.

“It is a little one-sided this year with Mercedes well ahead, but that doesn’t stop us preparing for the years to come.

“Running up front and winning races is something this team needs to re-learn. And we can do that with two very good drivers.

“We are looking forward to Spa and Monza because they are circuits that will suit our car. And I am confident we will go very well.

“We don’t fear anybody as we have already shown with some terrific performances already from both our drivers this year. We can be winners again.”

That upbeat stance is just the brave brand of attitude and language that Sir Frank has been waiting to hear.

— The writer is a motorsport expert based in the UK