FORMULA ONE: BMW Williams F1 Race Report, British Grand Prix

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 15, 2001

British GP race - BMW WilliamsF1 Team
British Grand Prix - RACE 15th July 2001

Weather:
Air temperature 16°C average. Track temperature 27°C average.

The BMW WilliamsF1 Team recovered from poor grid positions so have to be satisfied with Juan Pablo Montoya's fourth position. Ralf Schumacher was running in fifth for most of his race but retired on lap 37 with a technical problem.

Juan Pablo Montoya
Position: 4th
Chassis: FW23 06
Best Time: 1:24.437 on lap 23 - 3rd fastest

"It was a pretty good race even though I think we could have finished third, we had played a different strategy and it didn't really pay off. The start was pretty good and I didn't know how far forward I could go. After this morning I was aiming for a point so getting three out of the race is not that bad."

Ralf Schumacher
Position: Retired on lap 37
Chassis: FW23 05
Best Time: 1:25.188 on lap 33 - 9th fastest

"I had an excellent start, but in the first corner I had to lift off when David spun and, therefore, lost a position to Rubens. I believe I was on the right one-stop strategy, but unfortunately during the pit stop the fuel nozzle stuck and this cost me several seconds, but these things happen. Then suddenly I heard a noise and the engine just stopped."

Patrick Head (Technical Director, WilliamsF1)

"Obviously the race was a lot better than the practice position, which was very poor, but we have got to go away and work out why we were in a weak position relative to McLaren and Ferrari here. From eighth and tenth on the grid a fourth place is probably as good as we might expect."

Gerhard Berger (BMW Motorsport Director)

"We leave Silverstone with mixed emotions. On one hand Juan's fourth is a good result, considering he started from eighth and that this is not an easy circuit for us. He did a brilliant job. On the other it is a pity Ralf retired due to a technical failure. The engine lost power and suddenly turned off. We will find the reason for this when we get back to Munich."

Testing: Monza - 17/18/19/20 July - 17 Marc Gene and Ralf Schumacher - 18/19 Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya - 20 Juan Pablo Montoya and Marc Gene

Text provided by Sylvia Proudfoot

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.