Formula 1
Theissen positive after Bahrain
Williams did not have the best of results from the Bahrain Grand Prix, but BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said there were some positive points. Juan Pablo Montoya looked to be heading for a secure third place when gearbox problems caused him ...
Published: Apr 6, 2004, 6:56 PM
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Williams did not have the best of results from the Bahrain Grand Prix, but BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said there were some positive points. Juan Pablo Montoya looked to be heading for a secure third place when gearbox problems caused him to fall rapidly off the pace. He tried to nurse the car home, dropping down the field, and eventually came to a halt on the start straight, to be classified 13th.
Dr Mario Theissen and Frank Williams.
Photo by BMW PressClub.
Ralf Schumacher had an eventful race, clashing with the BAR of Takuma Sato early on, then fighting his way up to finish seventh. Saturday qualifying proved to be the highlight of the weekend, when Montoya and Schumacher took the second row in third and fourth respectively.
"We shouldn't dramatise things," said Theissen, according to the team website. "Of course this wasn't the result we had hoped for. Nevertheless, we are leaving Bahrain with some positive impressions."
"We took our best qualifying result of the season so far, and although Ferrari has again proven to be a class of its own in race trim, we have been able to further reduce the gap in this area, lapping only 0.5 slower."
Montoya, naturally, was disappointed about his abrupt decline down the order at the end of the race. "I had a good pace and would have come third, if I hadn't had a gearbox problem with about 10 laps to go," said the Colombian.
"I first lost the seventh gear and then a few more gears and then I eventually lost all drive. There was nothing else to do but try to finish the race which is why I continued and ultimately it was disappointing, of course, because I couldn't even finish in the points."
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