German GP Williams Saturday notes

For the first time since the beginning of their partnership both the BMW WilliamsF1 Team's cars will start alongside each other on the front row of the grid. Juan Pablo Montoya took pole position for the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim, while Ralf Schumacher was just two hundreds of a second slower. In 1986 at the Osterreichring was the last time two BMW powered cars started on the front row, with Teo Fabi and Gerhard Berger driving for Benetton. The last front row for WilliamsF1 was at Silverstone in 1997. This is the 17th pole for BMW and the 110th for WilliamsF1.

Juan Pablo Montoya
"Everybody worked so hard for this. This proves again we have the right package and that everyone at WilliamsF1, BMW and Michelin have been doing a great job. It was a good lap. Ralf ran me pretty close, he did four runs, I did three and my second one went so well. The car was working very well and we did a change for the last run and I was two tenths up already on my time and then when Ralf crossed the line they told to back off."

Ralf Schumacher
"I am happy to be on the front row here as I have never qualified so far up the grid here in Hockenheim before. It is a really good feeling to achieve this at my home grand prix. I lost some time in the Motodrom and on my last stint I was slowed by yellow flags. Today our car was quicker than the rest of the field due to a strong performance by the whole team. I hope we can continue like this in the race and finish first and second, but the race is going to be really tough in these temperatures."

Patrick Head, Technical Director
"It is obviously great to start from the front row with both cars and an excellent achievement for Juan Pablo to get his first pole in Formula One. All the team have done a very good job. The race tomorrow is a different matter. Everyone at BMW and WilliamsF1 will work hard on race preparation to get the cars to the finish tomorrow. It is great to see Michelin so strong again after a difficult weekend in Silverstone."

Dr Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"Incredible -- for the first time we have both cars on the front row and what is even more satisfying is the large gap to the next cars. It is great to achieve this at our home Grand Prix. It is an outstanding result and I am especially happy for all BMW employees in Munich who kept their fingers crossed for us and especially those who are on standby in case we need anything."