European GP: Williams Friday notes

Usual Friday work for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, who were 5th and 6th respectively in the Free Practice session for the European Grand Prix, at the Nürburgring.

Juan Pablo Montoya:

"It hasn't been a very positive day for me as I am still struggling with the balance of the car. I also had a problem with an exhaust, which I experienced halfway through the second session which hampered my work. Last, but not least, I think that the new chicane is much too slow for me, I preferred it as it was before. Let's see how we can improve the car for tomorrow."

Ralf Schumacher:

"I had a very low-key start to my race weekend here at the Nürburgring. We didn't have any real problems and we could work quite well on improving the car. As usual for a Friday, we concentrated on the set-up for the race and I tried both the tyre compounds that Michelin has brought here. In the second session the grip level sensibly improved, particularly in the new part of the track, which I find a bit too slow, by the way."

Sam Michael (Chief Operations Engineer, WilliamsF1):

"We had a normal Friday doing race homework, system checking and evaluating tyres to make sure we make the best choice. We are working towards getting a better balance for tomorrow. Now we start looking at qualifying and what we need to do to the balance to make the right tyre choice. In the second session Juan had a problem with the exhaust and we had to change it which took away some of his track time.

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):

"Both the drivers completed their set-up work programme according to schedule. Precedence was given to aerodynamics, suspension work and tyre choice. With regards to the engine, we have tried a few different traction control settings."

Juan Pablo Montoya: 5th
Chassis: FW24 05
Best time: 1.33,122 min

Ralf Schumacher: 6th
Chassis: FW24 06 (T-Car FW24 02)
Best time: 1.33,179 min

-williams-