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An article on Ralf's first drive in a Toyota at itv-f1.com Asked for his first impressions of the car, Ralf told autosport.com: “The car is still not quick enough, but it was better than I expected, so I was pleasantly surprised. It all felt well, the car had a good balance and we did quite a lot of work today. It was very interesting work for me but I'm sure it was pretty boring for the team as they'd gone through that many times” “I must say that after one day with the team on the track I feel like I've been with Toyota for a while already”. Asked what his hopes were for next season, Ralf added: “It's a bit early to start speaking about 2005 until we try the new car. Obviously if everything goes well I would like to be further up the grid. I won't be happy if it doesn't happen, but how far we get depends on how we develop the car. You never know what happens, who expected BAR to be so fast this year?” Ralf spent his first day working in a Toyota. He found the car to be better than he expected. He told DPA, "The package is better than I expected. The engine is very, very good and the car has a good balance". From paddocktalk.com Ralf on the proposed speed reduction in F1: "The cars have got faster, but you cannot argue that the show is better. It is time that Formula One slowed down". From homeoff1.com From a long article about Ralf at espn.go.com Ralf is looking forward to a new life with Panasonic Toyota in 2005. "It was a very disappointing season, not because of the accident, but more because we thought we were going to go for the championship, and we never were close to it. It is not so easy to leave the team, but I took the decision six months ago. I thought about it very carefully. The good thing about it is people seem to be a bit sad that I am leaving. It is always good if you are a driver and you have that. So obviously at the end of the day I did a reasonable job" "There is a lot of development to be done at Toyota. It will be tough in the beginning, but the chances are very good, so that is why I decided on this team in the first place. It never had anything to do with money; it was a success-oriented decision. Not in the short term more in the long term" Ralf on the 2005 qualifying: At the Brazilian GP, Max Mosley announced that a new qualifying format would be used during the 2005 season. It will consist of one single lap qualifying session on Saturday afternoon and another on Sunday morning with grid positions determined by aggregate times. Ralf sees this as a welcome change to the sport, for drivers and fans alike. "The new format should be better for the fans on site, as they will have the chance of witnessing more on-track action on Sunday. This will be more thrilling for all of us". However alterations might be in the pipeline as some of the teams have expressed dissatisfaction with the latest qualifying proposal. From planet-f1.com Ralf on his time at Williams: "It has been a long but beautiful time. It is anything but easy to leave the team after six years" The reason Ralf is wearing a white suit for testing: Because he is still officially contracted to BMW-Williams until New Year's Day, he'll test at Circuit de Catalunya with a "virgin white overall". Before testing Ralf said: "I am already very excited. There is potential in the team and the car, which motivates me to work hard at this new challenge" Ralf quotes at planet-f1.com Returning from his weeklong family holiday, Ralf said on his official website that he already has a lot of work lined up, including a few marketing events for Williams in London, Spain and Italy, where after he would start work with his new team. "Mid next week (i.e. 24-25 November) I'll be sitting in my Toyota for the first time, as you know, at the test sessions in Barcelona. In a virgin-white overall. I am already very excited: The team and car have enough potential and this motivates me a lot. It would cost us all a lot of work and patience". Of his fellow Toyota driver, he said: "I also like my new team-mate Jarno Trulli a lot: a pleasant contemporary who brings enough experience to further develop Toyota together with us". Although Ralf feels that it would be a bit bold to speak of winning races at the moment, he says that Toyota might just surprise their rivals with a few podium finishes, they are after all a "hungry team" with a "positive spirit". Ralf surveyed the wreckage of his miserable F1 season, and claimed: "I'm right to walk out on BMW Williams". He insists he had "stopped believing" he could win the championship with them and had to move on. He has no regrets about quitting the team where he spent seven "frustrating" years trying to topple older brother and seven-times world champion Michael. Schu junior reckons he will have more chance of fulfilling his dream of becoming world champion with his new team, Toyota, next year. Ralf, 29, admits he would have signed a new multi-million-pound contract to stay at Williams if he had been driving a car able to challenge for the 2004 title. This year's Williams wasn't mean or fast enough to live with the likes of Ferrari or BAR. Ralf finished with just 24 points - 124 behind champion Michael - after being out for three months with broken bones in his back following a 200mph horror smash at Indianapolis. Ralf, speaking in association with Oris, the leading Swiss watchmakers, admits: "It was the worst season I have ever had in a Formula One car. Of course there was the accident but just as frustrating was the fact that we were not as competitive as we wanted to be on the track. If I had been in a car capable of challenging for the title this year and felt we could win it next, then I would have stayed at BMW Williams. But that was not the case" "My target is to win the World Drivers Championship. I want to be the best. Sadly, it has not happened. Each time both myself and the team were left a little frustrated at the end. I decided it was time to go somewhere else. When you stop believing it will work it is time to move on. In any sport you can sometimes stay in the same place too long. This was the right thing to do" "Toyota are a young team who have only been involved in F1 for a couple of years. They are ambitious, like myself, and believe they can put together a car able to compete for both the Drivers and Constructors Championships. Where else could I have gone? Apart from Ferrari, it's difficult to see which other team could give me what I want. Toyota have a five-year plan to get to the very top in F1. It may be a risk but it's an exciting one" Ralf insists his desire has not been damaged by the US GP crash that put his career in jeopardy. Recalling the accident last June, he says: "I couldn't move a muscle or bone straight after the accident. I was in a bad state. I was pretty smashed up. When something like that happens it gives you a big reality check about everything - sport, life and all that - but it has not left any mental or physical scars" Ralf on safety measures: Ralf has given his backing to plans to slow F1 cars down. His horrific crash at Indianapolis was one of the reasons that FIA president Max Mosley embarked on a crusade to make the sport safer. And while Ralf does not believe that the changes would have prevented his crash, he believes they represent a step in the right direction. Referring to his accident, which was caused by a puncture, Ralf said: "Basically, there is nothing you can do to protect against something like that. But accidents such as mine at Indianapolis prove that further measures are necessary in Formula 1. Otherwise, the sport will become just too dangerous". From itv-f1.com Ralf's final three races with BMW Williams brought a second position in Japan and a fifth position in Brazil. With JPM winning the final race of the season and Ralf finishing in fifth position, the team scored 14 points - their best points haul of the season. Ralf: "I fought like a lion. My team-mate’s win was important, and a nice way to finish the season for the whole team" After spending the last six years with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team there wasn't much time left after the race to say good-bye properly to the team members. On Saturday evening before the race, Ralf thanked the engineers by inviting them all to a dinner. After the race he was whisked away to the airport and onto a plane back to Austria. Ralf: "Although a lot of fans believe that I'm now on holiday, that's not true. I was home for one day before I was back on the road, attending a PR event at my Kart track in Bispingen. In a couple of weeks time I've got a couple of days off, which I will then spend with my family and my friends". From f1.racing-live.com The race started on a damp track and, with qualifying having taken place in the dry on Saturday, teams and drivers were left to make only minimal adjustments to the settings they had chosen over 24 hours earlier. Ralf had opted for a little more downforce than his rivals, meaning that he was prevented from making full use of his BMW engine's potential in making passing moves, particularly during a mid-race scrap for third with Fernando Alonso. Added to the that a brief hiccup in the pits, when he attempted to leave his final fuel stop with the hose still attached, and any hope of breaking out of a four-car train was dashed. A late mistake from BAR's Takuma Sato allowed him to move up to fifth spot, but Alonso was again just too far up the road for him to add any more to his final points tally. "It was a shame that, due to the rain, my strategy did not pay off at all. I have to say that I was not fast enough to overtake Alonso and, as a consequence, I think I missed out on a podium today" Ralf ended up in ninth place in the overall standings, having missed six races through injury. His result also helped Williams to consolidate fourth position in the constructors' championship - something that rankled on his final event with the team. "It was great to be with this team for the last six years, but it's a true pity we didn't enjoy even more success. I wish the team all the best for next year" Ralf qualified 7th at Brazil: "Seventh is not too bad a place to start the race from because I will start from the clean side of the track. I know we have a good race car and a good strategy which makes me confident to be in a position to collect some valuable points for the team" From the Friday Press Conference Q: Sam, Ralf is leaving the team after six years. What's it been like to work with Ralf in the team? I know you also worked with him at Jordan? Sam Michael: Obviously, he has brought a lot of years to Williams. He is obviously a very talented driver. He's very good analytically, working with engineers and going through data. He's extremely good at understanding tyres and set-up, so he has obviously contributed quite strongly. During the last half of this season, he hasn't done… or a third of the season, you could say, because of his accident, but he also came back strongly after that and I wish him all the best at Toyota. I'm sure he will do a good job there and be a really big benefit to them on their climb to the top. Ralf on the track: "The track seems to be massively bumpy. It is therefore not easy to find the right set-up nor will it be easy to make the right tyre choice" Ralf on Brazil: "I really hope we can follow up the great result we had in Suzuka in Brazil, it is definitely possible with the car we have at the moment. If our Michelin tyre is as good as it was in Japan, we could certainly achieve a podium finish. After six years with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team, I would really like to leave them with a strong result" The best thing about Michael's crushing win at Suzuka was... Ralf Schumacher. Michael welcomed his young brother back to the podium following a nearly four-month lay off due to injury. "Easy" he replied when asked for a Japanese GP highlight. "Ralf and I wondered when we last (shared the podium) and we could only recall Canada -- but the most important thing is he is back with us". From f1central.net Ralf is happy to return to the Williams cockpit for the final grand prix of the season and give them a podium. "Hopefully I'll do another one in Brazil and then leave (the team) in peace" Ralf smiled and scoffed at an observation that Michael has been out of the F1 winner's circle for 'such a long time'. Sunday's Japanese grand prix win for the Ferrari driver was his first trip to the top step of the podium in two months, or three grands prix. Ralf said sarcastically: Oh yeah -- a long, long time... The proposed shorter weekend format, featuring qualifying and the race within four hours on a Sunday got an enforced trial at the typhoon affected Japanese grand prix. Despite his brothers' opposition, Ralf said the short format posed 'no problem' for him. "As long as you don't crash. Sometimes you might say 'I need more preparation time' but personally I think it is ok. Maybe having (qualifying) on Saturday is a bit better" Michael won the Japanese Grand Prix. Ralf finished second ahead of Jenson Button in a BAR. Michael finished 14 seconds ahead of Ralf. Michael: After the start, I had Ralf in my mirrors for quite a while. The gap between us was not growing as quickly as I had expected and he was certainly hanging on. After days of rain and a typhoon threat, it was warm and sunny at race time. On the opening laps, both Schumachers pulled away from the pack. At the end of the first six laps, Michael led Ralf by three seconds but Ralf led Button by more than seven. On the next lap Button's teammate, Sato, took over third. "He was still pulling away but not as much as expected" Ralf said. "It didn't look like it in the beginning stages". After the first round of pits stops, the order was the same, but Michael increased his lead to 16.6 seconds at the end of lap 16. Sato was 22.4 behind. After the second round of pit stops were completed by the end of 40 laps, Michael led Ralf by more than 20 seconds. "It was pretty clear which way it would go" Ralf said. Your Hero: The start went ok and I was surprised I was able to follow Michael. I pitted four laps earlier than he did, so he was obviously heavier. But after the pit stop I got stuck in traffic and when you are fighting at the back it is always difficult. Our car was good today. We chose the right strategy and the result speaks for itself. We had a good overall weekend considering the good starting position I achieved. We also widened the gap to McLaren which is important. Now I am happy to go back home and celebrate with my family. Patrick Head: Everybody in the team says what a pleasure he is to work with and why have Frank and I not signed him up for next year. He's a very fast driver, he's very good and deserves to get results. Michael started Sunday's Japanese GP from pole having pipped his brother Ralf by 0.490 seconds. The two brothers took advantage of a drying track and were the second and third last drivers to qualify. Ralf went fastest to grab provisional pole, however he could do little to stop Michael's charge which took place moments later. Ralf cynically credited David Coulthard for helping him secure a front row start in the Japanese grand prix. They collided at Shanghai a fortnight ago, putting Ralf a lucky seventeenth in the pre-qualifying order. "Being out late like that definitely helped me -- so thanks to David. It was good to be fast there and then I could go out late in the second (session) and also be fast". He said despite the typhoon and overnight rain, the track was mostly dry - apart from some 'wet patches' - in morning qualifying. Ralf asked for Saturday's qualifying to be called off @ f1central.net Ralf urged FIA and Suzuka officials to cancel all running at the circuit on Saturday. He said the amount of standing water and aquaplaning on the opening day of practice would make it 'more sensible' to call off proceedings, given the worsening weather prospects. "It would be nice to get some work done... but unfortunately it doesn't look that way at the moment" Jarno Trulli said he would be able to work cordially with Ralf: "Well, to be honest, we already started pretty well. The other day I met him at the hotel, and just stopped to have a chat with him, telling him about what I thought of the team, the little experience that I've had in these first few days testing and honestly I cannot see any problems, any reasons. It depends on the way you approach people. It depends on what you expect from people. We are not all the same and we have somehow to deal with the positive and negative things. We cannot be nice for everyone. I am a very nice person but I'm sure not everyone likes me in the paddock" (you can expect quotes from Jarno Trulli instead of JPM in future, now he's Ralf's new team mate) Ralf talks about his health @ planet-f1.com Ralf: "For two months, I have been working on my fitness some four to six hours a day. Once, I even took a golf club and hit some balls. I felt no pain while swinging; therefore, I was rather buoyed. Anyway, I'm not the sort to complain, I have a high pain threshold, therefore, I wouldn't have said anything even if I had felt some pain" When asked about his accident, Ralf insisted that he recovered a hundred percent from it, both physically as well as mentally, but he also realises that he perhaps had a bit of luck as well. "When I watch TV, or see pictures of the accident, I feel like an uninvolved spectator. On the TV screen, the crash looks rather harmless. The camera was far away, and therefore it didn't look too dramatic. It was bad luck that I had a rear tyre puncture at that particular part of the circuit, but you may also call it luck that I'm sitting here today completely fit and healthy" Ralf considers safety issues @ motorsport.com Ralf: "Let's be realistic: even if the lap times should be reduced by one second for the 2005 season, an accident could still have fatal consequences. It's just as important to design the helmets and the cockpits even stronger than they are now and to increase the cars' front and rear crush zones" Ralf is not worried about voicing his opinion even if many would not agree -- he is critical of Monte Carlo's street circuit, which is one of F1's most popular events. "I say what I think, even if I'm criticised for doing so... Let's talk about Monaco: although I made it to pole position in last year's Monaco Grand Prix, I am of the opinion that this is an outdated event. I have to ask: Why do we have to take the risk to chase through a tunnel at 290kph? I'm not too fond of circuits where an accident could have such serious consequences" The FIA is aiming to bring in regulation changes over the next few years to slow the cars down, which include restrictions to engines, aerodynamics and tyres. Ralf on Japan: "I think Suzuka is one of the most interesting tracks on the Formula One calendar, so I am very much looking forward to racing there. I lived in Japan for a year while I competed in - and won - the 1996 Formula Nippon championship, so I have good memories of the country and I am looking forward to returning. Of course, it won't be easy though - you need a perfect car to perform well in the fast sectors of the circuit - so we will have to find a good set-up. However, in my opinion, we have a good chance of doing that. In Shanghai, we demonstrated that we are definitely competitive - despite the unnecessary accident with David Coulthard" |
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