Williams score a point at last

SHANGHAI, Oct 1 (Reuters) Former champions Williams scored a point at last today, Australian Mark Webber finishing eighth in China to end the Formula One team's worst drought in nearly 30 years.

''Mark drove a great race in the wet and then in the drying conditions,'' said technical director Sam Michael.

''The variable conditions aside, the car has definitely improved both in reliability and performance and we will go to the last two races with a target to score some more points.'' Williams, ranked only behind Ferrari in the all-time list of champions with nine constructors' titles, are eighth in the standings with 11 points.

Team founder Frank Williams called their recent performances, with a run of 10 races without scoring, ''unblinkingly, humiliatingly, shocking'' after they drew a blank at Monza this month.

The barren streak was the Cosworth-powered team's worst since Williams and co-owner Patrick Head started out in 1977.

They have not won a race since Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya triumphed in Brazil at the end of 2004.

REUTERS AB PM1824