WilliamsF1 Team Comments: Malaysian GP

By Andrew Hooper
March 23 2003

 
 
Malaysian GP Race - Team Comments
 
That’s racing. After Ralf Schumacher qualified only 17th, he managed to achieve a further five championship points for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team by finishing the Malaysian Grand Prix in fourth position. Team mate Juan Pablo Montoya who started eighth on the grid but got hit in the rear on the first lap and was forced to make a long pit stop to fit a new rear wing. He crossed the finish line in 12th position.

The BMW WilliamsF1 team will test at Barcelona from 25-28 March, Marc Gené all days, Juan Pablo Montoya 25/26, and Ralf Schumacher 27/28.
 
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya"No doubt my race was decided in the first lap. I was hit by Pizzonia’s Jaguar and I lost most of the rear wing which forced me to pit. Unfortunately we had a mechanical problem that slowed down the wing change but the mechanics changed it as quick as they could. When I went back to the track I was 3 laps behind the leader. Such a gap was impossible to close! Furthermore my drink bottle stopped working after a dozen laps which made the rest of my race today very, very hard."
 
Ralf Schumacher
 Ralf Schumacher"This race was as demanding as 56 laps of qualifying. Driving at the front as I did last year was obviously much easier. I am happy that I achieved fourth position after I started 17th. The new rules are proving positive. They mix up the field so much that a lot goes on in the race."
 
Dr Mario Theissen BMW Motorsports Director
 Mario Theissen"It was another exciting Grand Prix. The accident right after the start mixed up the field. Ralf took advantage of the situation and managed to reach the midfield. You don’t often see a driver achieving fourth place after having started 17th. Ralf really did the very best he could. Shame for Juan Pablo, who was unlucky. After the start somebody hit him from the back and he lost his rear wing."
 
Sam Michael Chief Operations Engineer WilliamsF1
 Sam Michael"Ralf did a good job by driving from 17th position to fourth and secured valuable points for the championship. It was unfortunate that Juan got hit in the rear right on the first lap. He was well placed regarding the fuel load and strategy he was on. But at this incident he lost his rear wing and after the repair had dropped far behind. His lap times were good, but we don’t know were he could have finished. For Brazil we will have some new parts and we are looking forward to the next race."
 
 
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