A few more years for Ralf

Ralf Schumacher is focusing firmly on this year's championship and his main thought is to cross the finish line first. Williams only claimed one race win last year, with Schumacher, in Malaysia, which no doubt the German is aiming to duplicate this weekend. However, he's not about to predict winning the title but with hard work he thinks maybe next year.

"There is only one aim, namely to win some races," he told the BMW website of 2003. "Should we manage to take things one step ahead this season, then it could well be that we'll make it next year. This requires from us though, to stay constant and to keep developing the car."

The FW25 had some aerodynamic niggles in winter testing and the team didn't think the car would be fast enough early in the season. Juan Pablo Montoya certainly seemed quick enough in Melbourne, leading the race until a spin put him behind David Coulthard.

Schumacher thinks more time is needed for development: "The new car has potential. The engineers now need time, in order to make the best of its potential." Ralf himself finished eighth and was naturally not too happy: "The result of Melbourne is good for the team but I shouldn't be satisfied nonetheless."

Schumacher had an idea to retire from F1 by the age of thirty, hopefully with the title under his belt, but as he turns 28 this year, that looks a little unlikely: "That would mean that everything were over after the season 2004," he said of his original plan. "But at the moment I am having a totally different stance. I will most probably be adding a few years."

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