The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

F1: Zanardi and Schumacher Make Winfield Williams F1 Debut

5 March 1999

The double-winning World IndyCar Champion Alex Zanardi and German driver Ralf Schumacher make their debuts for the revitalised Winfield WilliamsF1 team at the opening grand prix of the season at Melbourne in Australia on Sunday. This opening race of the scheduled 16 round world championship at the 5.301km(3.29 miles) Albert Park circuit should show every indication of the battles that lie ahead. Both the drivers and WilliamsF1 are determined and confident they can erase memories of last year's disappointing season for the team that had won both the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships for the two previous years.

"I'm looking forward to going there and we will be looking for a good result to start the season," revealed Zanardi, who makes his debut at the Albert Park circuit. "I believe that I can go home with a smile on my face after all the work we have been doing in the winter."

Schumacher has twice driven at Albert Park for the Jordan team but failed to finish on both occasions. Despite the fewer number of allocated test days both Schumacher and Zanardi have completed many hours of testing the new Williams FW21 car which incorporates a number of technical changes and a new livery.

"I hope to have more luck than I did in the two previous Australian Grands Prix," said Schumacher, who finished tenth in last year's world championship. "It's the first race, therefore the first chance to find out how well we have operated during the winter in comparison to the other teams. For all of us Melbourne is one of the most exciting grands prix of the year, although the track is very tricky especially on Friday in free practice. You have to be very cautious because of the dirty and slippery surface."

Patrick Head,Technical Director of WilliamsF1, is also confident of a successful season for the new car. "We got caught out and left behind a little last year. We have really had a big change of approach both on the design and manufacturing side and I'm very optimistic that the FW21 is going to be a very big step forward for us." he explained. "We reviewed every aspect of the FW20 car and then made definition of exactly what we wanted to achieve on the next car and I would say we have either met or exceeded every target we set in the car."

Two of the latest drivers to join the world championship in Melbourne are Italian Luca Badoer and Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa. Badoer has joined Minardi but will still carry out testing for Ferrari while de la Rosa will drive for Arrows.

The 58-lap race round the 307.516km (191.12miles) track starts at 1400hrs local time (03.00 GMT)