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Ralf is planning a 'full attack' at Suzuka next week as his BMW WilliamsF1 team bids to clinch the constructors' championship: After the difficult race in Indianapolis, the team can now go on a full attack. Naturally it's a pity for Juan Pablo that he is out of the battle for the Drivers' Championship, but our goal is now focused on the Constructors' title. I am sure we can claw back the three points on Ferrari and the team‘s test in Jerez this week makes me confident that we can achieve this. While I don’t have an absolute favourite track on the calendar, I have to say that Suzuka is up there among them. I also feel very much at home in Japan after my season there contesting Formula Nippon. The start of the Japanese GP will be at 7:30am German time, on Sunday. Juan and I will be fighting exclusively for the Constructors' Championship, while Michael and Kimi will be concentrating on the Drivers' title. As it is will be so compelling to watch, I am sure the finale will be well worth an early wake up call for every Formula One fan.
We've got to attack Ferrari in Suzuka to win the constructors' championship at least. And I think our chances of winning this title are good, as we're just three points behind Ferrari. I'm convinced that we should be able to close this gap. |
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When it started to rain quite heavily around lap 20 I stayed out on the track one lap too much which was unfortunately due to a misunderstanding with my engineers on the pit-wall. It was obviously not the right decision and I spun on the track which had become very slippery, hit the barriers and had to retire from the race. The conditions out there were very difficult, very challenging. It was a very disappointing end, especially because I was right up there amongst the leaders and ahead of Michael and Kimi. Sam Michael Chief Operations Engineer, concluded: "It was obviously a bad day for both championships from our point of view. We have made quite a lot of mistakes as a team today which we have to address for the next race in Japan" For more of Ralf's thoughts on what happened at the US GP please see the News blog I'd rather keep this page positive and not full of the bitching that so often dominates F1. The Guardian had this to say about Ralf's reaction: Ralf's outburst could not have come at a worse time for the British team, who are geeing up their drivers for the one-two finish they need at Suzuka on Sunday week to take the constructors' championship. I'm glad Ralf finally had an "outburst", he's been too nice for too long. But see the News page for more on that. |
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| Asked which driver he would be more inclined to help, Ralf said his only goal in Sunday's race is to help himself. "Juan never needed my help to get to this point anyway. If I am in position to win the race, I will certainly try". Despite the changing weather conditions Friday, Ralf was just glad to be back in his car after missing the previous race two weeks ago in Monza, Italy. He said he felt fine Friday: "I'm pretty happy with the way I felt. That shouldn't be a problem". Two of his six career wins have come this season. He is trying to hang onto fourth place in the drivers' standings and help Williams hold off Ferrari in the constructor points. "I believe we have the strongest package, no doubt about it. It's going to be a very tough race for Ferrari if they want to win" |
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| Ralf has opted to refrain from making any predictions about the outcome of this season’s Championship, except to say that both Michael and Montoya are deserving of being crowned the 2003 World Champion. “It's difficult, but I've always been a fair person – both of them have worked their way through the season and both of them deserve the title, so I'll just try and stay out of it. From an experience point of view and racing ability, I definitely see Michael as having the upper hand. But on the package side, I see Juan in a better position – we have a stronger car and the better tyre – all that is against Michael" |
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| "After missing the last race at Monza due to the accident I had at the test, I am sure that I will be 100% fit for the US Grand Prix - I am doing everything I can to achieve that. Indy is the home of US motor racing, so it is really something special to race there. I like the track because it has a lot of rhythm, is very quick and there are overtaking opportunities on the long straight as well as at the entrance of the parabolica. Indy is, however, a very demanding track from a technical point of view. For the long straight, when you drive at full throttle for more than 20 seconds, you need nothing else but sheer power and thanks to BMWs engine we fortunately have that" |
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| Ralf insists he will be happy for Montoya if he wins the title but, equally, will feel 'a little bit disappointed' for his brother. 'If Michael loses against my team-mate it will be a strange feeling. But we have an excellent car and Montoya can become world champion' |
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| Ralf is well aware that he needs more days of rest to gain complete fitness in time for Indianapolis. “Currently I am not able to race, I will have to relax some more days”. He is prepared to do whatever the doctor orders and he has set himself a demanding goal for the last two rounds of the championship. “I want to win at least one more race”. In the unlikely event that he doesn’t recover in time for Indianapolis, he will have another go in Suzuka for the last round of the championship on October 12. |
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Despite still having headaches after his crash in testing at Monza, Ralf Schumacher is certain he will race at Indianapolis and said his goal is to win. He can no longer take the title but he's not going to let that get in the way of wanting victory in America, although obviously he will have to be cleared to race beforehand. "I am still not fully recovered" he said to Gazzetta dello Sport. "I still have headaches but that's normal. For sure I will be at Indianapolis and my goal will be to win the race" He won't let teammate Juan Pablo Montoya's title hopes deter him from going for victory either, but he thinks Montoya is quite capable of winning the championship. "Montoya is a very good driver and he can win the title. If he didn't make a small mistake in qualifying at Monza, he could have started from pole position and starting from there, I am not sure if Michael would have won. We have an excellent car and I can tell you that if Montoya becomes world champion, I will be happy for him. Of course, if Michael loses, I will be a little bit disappointed for him" Williams is yet to confirm its driver line up for 2004 but both Schumacher and Montoya are contracted to the end of next year. Ralf is confident of continuing with the team to 2006 and talks are ongoing: "I think we can presume that there will be an extension but there are some points to be discussed" he said recently. |
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| Ralf Schumacher lost a chance to gain ground when he withdrew from Sunday's GP due to a lingering headache from last week's testing accident. His brother linked the problem to the excessive G-forces. "That shows how tough Formula One is" Michael Schumacher said. "Ralf and I had a soccer game Thursday night, and you wouldn't have expected any problems. But going into an F-1 car is different and obviously that didn't suit it. That's understandable" |
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Reports that Ralf's manager Willi Weber had expressed the view that he should not drive again this season as a precaution have been firmly denied. Ralf holds fourth place in the world championship on 58 points, 24 behind his brother Michael who is going for his sixth drivers' title, an all-time record. Only Montoya with 79 points and McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen on 75 now have a chance of stopping the Ferrari driver. |
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A recovering Ralf Schumacher has laughed off speculation that he might not race in either of the two remaining GP's of 2003. Wild whispers started to circulate after the German skipped Monza with recurring headaches, that Jacques Villeneuve may now find his seat. 'I am very amused to hear and read these rumours about who will be taking my place' Ralf told his personal website. 'I'm doing everything to be really fit again and of course assume that I'll be in Indianapolis. Everything else is rubbish' Ralf rolled his FW25 in private testing before the Monza race and spent a night in hospital with 'severe' concussion. Ralf's manager Willi Webber reportedly said that the German might not race again this season. Ralf began 'bio-feedback therapy' near his home in Salzburg, Austria, this week starting with a few days of breathing and relaxation exercises. Spanish tester Gene will travel to Indianapolis in two weeks to again be on stand-by. Sir Frank Williams also sniffed at speculation that his teams' last world champion, Villeneuve, could see out the season in a Grove-built car. 'I think that's wishful thinking from the French-speaking part of Canada' he smirked after the Monza race. Webmaster: Where do these rumours come from?! They get more bizarre. |
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Ralf Schumacher says he is close to agreeing an extended contract with Williams but the deal is not done yet. "I think you can assume that (the new contract will be signed)" he told reporters at the IAA Frankfurt car show on Wednesday. "But it's not done yet. A few details still have to be sorted out" Ralf's manager, Willi Weber, was earlier quoted as saying a new deal had been agreed. "Everything is clear" Weber told the German weekly Sport Bild. "We will extend (Ralf's contract) to 2006" Ralf, ruled out of last Sunday's Italian Grand Prix after a heavy crash in testing, said he assumed he would be fit again for the last two races and was amused by speculation about possible replacements. "I'm doing everything to be really fit again and of course assume that I'll be in Indianapolis -- everything else is rubbish" he said on his website. Schumacher, fourth overall, is out of the hunt for the title, but can still pick up points for himself and for Williams, who lead the constructors' championship. Ralf's brother Michael, in a Ferrari, leads Williams' Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya by three points. Doctors have advised Ralf to avoid stressful activity and he has a week of breathing and relaxation exercises ahead of him before the U.S. Grand Prix. The German crashed in tests at Monza two weeks ago and suffered severe concussion. Spanish stand-in Marc Gene acquitted himself well in Sunday'a race, banking four points. |
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Juan Pablo Montoya yesterday joined a growing list of Michael Schumacher's rivals who questioned his recent F1 racing tactics. The Colombian said Schumacher, who drives a scarlet Ferrari [yes, we know] was 'pretty aggressive' in the lead down to Budapest's second corner on Sunday. 'You've got to push, but on the first lap I was on the outside of him and he just threw his car at me completely' Montoya said he was a 'bit shocked' by the German's tactics, which were questioned also after the Silverstone race by Renault officials. 'But if that's the way he goes racing, I guess that's the way he goes racing' Montoya - who's had his fare share of scraps with Schu - added. He told Schumacher that 'driving like that' is not really going to help his dwindling cause in the 2003 world championship. 'He needed to score points today and he took just one' said Montoya, who moved within a single point of the German in the drivers' chase.
Yesterday's race at the Hungaroring was a disaster for Ferrari, according to the team's former double world champion Niki Lauda. The Austrian, in Budapest as a television commentator, remarked that it was 'impressive' just how far the Scuderia has gone backwards in 2003. 'Now they are so bad it's unbelievable. They have been dominating the last three years, nobody could get near them and now they get lapped' He thinks there's more to the problem than an outpaced tyre product in the form of struggling Bridgestones. 'Sure, it doesn't help, but there are little details that Ferrari aren't taking care of now. I think something is going wrong consistently' It's not only the F2003-GA that is in trouble, though, according to the outspoken, cap-wearing Austrian. Michael Schumacher is also struggling. The reigning world champion's current pace 'worries me a bit' says Niki Lauda. 'For the last few races (Rubens) Barrichello was quicker which I do not understand. There used to be a big gap between them. Between Michael and Barrichello there has always been between three and five tenths. But now he is always behind and is making mistakes' |
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BMW-Williams powered past Scuderia Ferrari in Hungary to lead the world constructors' championship for the first time this season. 'It was a good day for both Championships' said chief operations engineer Sam Michael, referring to Juan Pablo Montoya's third and Ralf Schumacher's fourth. 'Both our drivers did a fantastic job in recovering from low positions after the first lap' Juan and Ralf suffered horrendous blasts from the start-line as they grappled for grip from the dirty side of the track. Sam Michael confirms that the launch-control on both cars didn't work properly: 'We'll be looking at the systems ahead of the next race' |
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After a difficult start for both the drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher managed to recover and finished third and fourth respectively. After 13 out of 16 Grand Prix the BMW WilliamsF1 Team has taken the lead in the FIA Formula One Constructors’ World Championship by eight points. Ralf Schumacher commented "I have no idea of what happened at the start. I just had no traction. Two corners later I had to be careful not to crash into the rear of Juan’s car. That was when I spun. Then I had a pretty good recovery from the far end of the field. It’s easy to imagine how things could have gone if I’d had a better start. Whatever happened, I would not have caught Alonso. Of course things are not looking too good for me in the Championship. If I wanted a chance to win the title now, I would need a miracle" Even though he was able to finish the Hungarian Grand Prix in fourth BMW WilliamsF1 driver Ralf Schumacher is close to recognising the fact that his title chances are very slim. For Ralf his chances of securing victory in the race were ruined firstly by a poor start and secondly by spinning at turn three on the opening lap. This would drop him to the back of the field. With Ralf now fourteen points behind championship leader Michael Schumacher, and with the difficulty of closing this points gap Ralf now feels that only with a lot of luck will he have a chance in the drivers title fight. Ralf said: "Theoretically it is still possible, but it's pretty distant. A lot would have to happen and I'd have to have a lot of luck. I'll try my hardest and we'll have to see what happens" Webmaster: So as Ralf has little or no chance of winning I suppose we have to choose whether to root for Montoya or Michael. I can't decide. I know I should support Ralf's team mate but Michael is his brother so I'd be happy if either of them won. I'm just sad that it's not going to be Ralf, because things looked so promising for a while. Oh well, better luck next year. |
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Juan Pablo Montoya, as promised, got no favours from BMW-Williams team-mate Ralf Schumacher in yesterday's Hungarian Grand Prix. The Colombian spun his FW25 racer as he took it 'a bit too easy' in the closing stages, allowing a recovering Ralf to nip at his gearbox. Montoya said: 'I took my foot off the throttle a little too much and spun but I kept the car out of the gravel' After the spin, 28-year-old Ralf - who fought back from his own early-race spin that put him to the back of the field - closed right in on 27-year-old Juan. Montoya pressed the button for radio contact with his Williams crew. He asked: 'Are we still racing?' Williams' chief operating engineer Sam Michael replied: 'Yes you are, Ralf will pass you if you're not careful' 'I am now just a point behind Michael so if I can beat him in Monza it will guarantee a real exciting end to the season' Montoya continued. Juan Pablo recalls the last ten laps in battle with his Grove partner. 'He came pretty close and the team warned me that he would pass me. So I pushed harder. I think I was always a bit quicker than him and I was miles quicker than Jarno so I knew I had a good pace. I knew I'd be ok' Ralf Schumacher has told Juan Pablo Montoya to 'forget' any real on-track favours in today's Hungarian Grand Prix. The BMW-Williams ace said he would support Sir Frank's charge for his first world championship since 1997. 'I'll do anything I can' said Ralf. But clearly that 'anything' doesn't include looking into his mirrors and waving his 27-year-old Colombian team-mate by. 'You're not actually allowed to do that, so why are we even discussing it? I will try to do my race as well as possible' Ralf on getting on the front row of the grid: "Being on the front row is obviously nice. It is obviously a big relief that my 10 places on the grid penalty was cancelled and I can actually start from the place I fought for. However, I am starting from the dirty side of the track which is not the best place to be" |
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Webmaster: OK, so Ralf didn't get on the Podium at the British GP :( but here's a recent article on Ralf I thought you might enjoy. Growing up in Huerth-Hermuelheim, Germany, Michael and Ralf Schumacher often raced at a go-kart track where their parents worked part time. Michael, six years older than Ralf, was the natural in the family, winning his first club championship at age six. Ralf was known as the family daredevil; his lead-footed racing style resulted in spinouts and, frequently, curse-outs from other drivers. "Ralf was crazy" says a family friend. "We used to worry that he'd kill himself out there" Ralf, 28, continues to live in his big brother's very large shadow. Michael is, after all, a five-time Formula One champion and one of the most popular athletes on the planet. But over the last month the Schumacher making the most noise on the F1 circuit has been Ralf. Before finishing ninth at Sunday's British Grand Prix in Silverstone, England, Ralf had won the two previous F1 races, at Nürburgring, Germany, and Magny-Cours, France. With five races left in the season, Ralf is in fourth place in the Formula One standings, trailing Michael, who finished fourth on Sunday, by 16 points (Partly because of Ralf's recent success for BMW Williams, Budweiser announced last week that it will sponsor the team through 2008; it is the company's first sponsorship in Formula One) "If I say Ralf's my main challenger, everyone will say [I'm saying that] because he's my brother" says Michael. "But if I say he's not, I would lie" Called Schumi Two by German race fans, Ralf nearly got the pink slip earlier this season from BMW Williams. After failing to finish in the top three in any of the first seven races of 2003, Ralf received a letter from Patrick Head, the team's technical director, telling him, in effect, that if he wanted to keep his job, he'd better become familiar with Victory Lane. Since then Ralf has been a different racer. He's driving with the kind of do-or-die determination that he so often exhibited on the go-kart track. "There's no denying that Ralf has been guilty of occasional inconsistency, but he is capable of enormous speed" BMW Williams owner Frank Williams said last week. "He is becoming very experienced and has a good understanding of the car" Yet for Ralf to make a name for himself, he'll need to win an F1 championship. Can he pull it off this season? "The chances are very small" Ralf said recently. "But if we work as hard and stay as focused as we did during the last few races, it can get interesting" |
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