French GP: Williams race notes

Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz had a fruitless race in Magny-Cours today. Nico finished where he started in ninth, just outside of a points-scoring position, while Alex moved up the field by four places and concluded his Grand Prix in 14th place.

A chapter closes in Formula One's history today as this afternoon's race was the last to be held in France after a 16 year stint at the Circuit de Nevers in rural Magny-Cours. On a track that has witnessed so much of the team's success, it was disappointing not to have concluded the weekend with a healthier result.

Nico Rosberg:

"In general, this weekend was positive for me but it wasn't the best race today. Button was slightly quicker and he was obviously having a better day with his car and his tyres, so he finished ahead of me and took the point. It's a shame for everyone who's put in so much effort to leave with no reward. This doesn't affect our position in the Constructors' Championship, but we need to start scoring consistently, particularly because we're now half way through the season."

Alex Wurz:

"Obviously 14th is not where I want to be, it's not satisfying at all. Nevertheless, both cars made it to the finish without any issues which proves our reliability is good. The only problem I had was traffic. I was stuck in the train behind Coulthard and neither our strategy, nor our pace, allowed us to get pass him. Overtaking here is not easy - I made one manoeuvre, but needed more. It's a new game next weekend, and hopefully we'll have better luck at Silverstone. As it's the team's home race, a good result would be great for the guys at the factory."

Sam Michael, Technical Director:

"It was a shame not to get more from the French Grand Prix. The times were so close and, ultimately, we weren't quick enough. Unfortunately, Nico missed out on scoring a point because he was a tenth or so slower than Button. From Alex's position, it was pretty hard to do anything. There were no problems on the car; we just need to work on our pace."

Nico Rosberg
Chassis/engine: FW29-05 H148
+68.505 (1:17.011, 9th)

Alex Wurz
Chassis/engnie: FW29-04 H135
+1 lap (1:17.240, 13th)

-credit: williams