FORMULA ONE: Monaco GP qualifying - BMW Williams F1 Team

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

May 27, 2001

Weather: Dry and sunny. Air temperature 27°C. Track temperature 42°C.

The BMW WilliamsF1 Team would have preferred to be higher up the grid for tomorrow's Monaco Grand Prix and with Ralf Schumacher fifth and Juan Pablo Montoya seventh realises both drivers will have some work to do. However, Monaco is often full of surprises so with reliable cars good results can still be achieved.

Ralf Schumacher: 5th
Chassis: FW23 05 (T-Car FW23 01)
Best Time: 1:18.029

"This is a pleasant qualifying result for me given that we always have had quite a difficult time on such twisty circuits. I think a place on the second row could have been possible but on my last lap I was held up by Jenson Button, who was being held up himself. The good thing is fifth means I am going to start on the clean side of the track."

Juan Pablo Montoya : 7th
Chassis: FW23 02 (T-Car FW23 03)
Best Time: 1:18.751

"It wasn't such a bad qualifying after all, as I thought it was going to be a lot worse. We have changed the car a lot for qualifying and it really improved. I think if we had started qualifying with the car's set-up the way it was when we finished we would have been much better off. During the weekend we have been a bit behind, so it was difficult to catch up. It is the same place I started my Formula 3000 race so it could be interesting!"

Patrick Head (Technical Director, WilliamsF1)

"We are fifth and seventh, which is not an ideal place to start the Monaco Grand Prix. Unfortunately Ralf was held up on his last lap, but whether Ralf would have improved or not is a different matter. Anyway it is a long race tomorrow and we will be aiming to make the best of it."

Gerhard Berger (BMW Motorsport Director)

"We were hoping for the second row, but just missed it. We were unable to make the best use of the last minutes of the session when the track was at its quickest. The starting positions are not that bad and if we come through trouble-free we could be on the podium. However, from these places it is also easy to get into trouble in the first corner!"

Text provided by S. Proudfoot

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