Felipe Massa has acknowledged that Williams will not get involved in the title fight between Mercedes and Ferrari in 2016.
Although with a much smaller budget, the British team finished third overall for the past two years and had targeted a step forward this season.
"I would like to be wrong but I think the title fight will be between [Lewis] Hamilton and [Nico] Rosberg," Massa told Brazil's Globo.
"Our fight, it seems, will be with Red Bull and Force India, in the group behind Mercedes and Ferrari, but I am confident that we can develop."
Massa, who is beginning his 14th consecutive season in Formula 1, will see his Williams contract expire at the end of this year.
