Ralf Schumacher Interview

By Andrew Hooper
January 6 2004

   
Ralf Schumacher Interview
 

Ralf Schumacher
 
Ralf Schumacher spoke of the upcoming season, when he was interviewed as part of the launch of the FW26.

Question: How do you assess the changes in the technical regulations?

Ralf Schumacher: Positively. Particularly the rule about only being able to use a single engine over the entire weekend. This is in our favour because we have a very powerful and reliable engine.

Question: What personal expectations do you have in your eighth F1 season?

Schumacher: The expectations for our team are high and after the last season, mine are naturally also high. I hope that the FW26 will be up to the competition from the start and that the BMW engine will once again be the best in the field. Then we could start talking seriously about the title and finally dislodging Ferrari from the top position.

Question: Your manager Willi Weber has tipped you as the favourite for the World Championship title. Will 2004 really be your year?

Schumacher: I certainly wouldn’t have anything against it if Willi was right. I believe that the team will continue to benefit from the fact that the performances by Juan Pablo and myself are equally matched. Of course, I’d like to be the one coming out ahead at the end of the season.

Question: What are your strengths?

Schumacher: I believe that I’m a pretty good analyst. That’s why I don’t make many mistakes in the race set-up and often succeed in clocking up points even when I have a relatively modest position on the starting grid. The best example of this is Budapest: I was right at the end but battled my way up through the entire field - and that was on a circuit where overtaking is reckoned to be virtually impossible.
 
 
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