LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Williams ‌will be ready to test in Bahrain next month after taking the "incredibly painful" decision ‌to miss this week's Formula One shakedown in Barcelona, team boss James Vowles said ‌on Wednesday.

The former champions are the only absentees from the five days of running at the Circuit de Catalunya that started on Monday.

Media reports had speculated about there being a problem with the car passing the FIA crash tests ‍required to participate, but Vowles told reporters there were no ‍longer any hurdles.