BMW WilliamsF1 Team-Austrian GP-Preview
Austrian Grand Prix 16/17/18 May 2003 PREVIEW Despite a disappointing result in Barcelona, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team are approaching the Austrian Grand Prix with measured enthusiasm following a successful week¹s testing at Le Castellet where both Ralf Schumacher and test driver Marc Gené topped the time sheets. The A1-Ring demands a compromised set up of the car. Long straights reward the power of the BMW engine, but a balance is required for the high downforce corners. Although not as challenging as the Circuit de Catalunya, managing the balance between downforce and drag is critical. In recent years, the team has secured impressive results in Austria. 2002 saw Montoya cross the finish line in third position and Ralf secure a solid fourth place. As RalfŒs home race, the team have high aspirations for a successful Austrian Grand Prix. Ralf Schumacher: "Our true potential was not mirrored in the final result we achieved in Barcelona. However, our performance during the first third of the race should give us some optimism for the remainder of the season and we need to build on that. We therefore continued our intensive testing schedule this week in Le Castellet and IŒm convinced we¹ve made progress in all areas which we hope to be able to translate into a successful result in Austria. "On a personal level, it would be great to be competitive as racing at the A1-Ring is almost a home Grand Prix for me. The fans are fantastic and create an infectious atmosphere, spurring you on to the finish line. ItŒs a shame that this race is being dropped from the calendar for the foreseeable future. Hopefully we¹ll be able to say goodbye with a positive finish." Juan Pablo Montoya: "Hopefully this will be a good race for us. The track¹s a fairly complex one set-up wise but it¹s quick and suits my driving style. Ralf and Marc have been testing some new parts in Paul Ricard this week, so it will be interesting to see if the car has improved since Barcelona. Last year, I managed to score a podium position, so I¹m looking to repeat that this year and consolidate our position in the Championship." Sam Michael (Chief Operations Engineer, WilliamsF1): "After gaining valuable points in Barcelona, the team is looking forward to Austria. The A1-Ring is an undulating circuit; it therefore presents a significant challenge when it comes to setting up the cars. Tyre management is of critical importance due to the nature of the track, particularly with the new qualifying and racing regulations. With three long straights rewarding engine power, and two sections of maximum downforce, this track forces a compromised set-up to achieve optimum lap times. "We¹ve been running the FW25 at Paul Ricard this week with Ralf and Marc sharing testing duties. Predominantly we focused on tyre testing as well as spending some time evaluating brake materials, the suspension and the aero package. We feel weŒve made some good progress which we hope to be able to demonstrate on the track next weekend." Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "For us, the positive aspect of the Spanish Grand Prix was that the BMW P83 proved itself once again, and we managed to collect nine points with fourth and fifth placed finishes. In Austria, the set-up work shouldn¹t prove quite as difficult as a fortnight ago in Barcelona. For the three straights that allow passing opportunities, we¹ll be relying on the power of the engine. The A1-Ring isn¹t a high-speed circuit as such, but with engines under full load for 70 per cent of the lap, it has one of the highest ratings of all GP circuits. BMW has always had a special affection for the Austrian GP, not least because of its proximity to Munich. We hope we will be able to say farewell to the circuit with a worthy race result." Facts and figures - The A1-Ring, near the city of Spielberg, is located in an idyllic part of Styria which is popular among tourists. The province, in the south east of Austria, has a population of 1.2 million, and Graz is its capital. - In 1964, Formula One staged a one-off appearance at the military airfield of Zeltweg. From 1970 to 1987, 18 Grands Prix were run on the Österreich-Ring, famous for its spectacularly fast corners. Formula One then bade farewell to Austria for ten years, only to return in 1997 when the new A1-Ring had been built. This year¹s race will be the 26th Austrian Grand Prix and the seventh to be held on the A1-Ring. - WilliamsF1 claimed its first victory in Styria in 1979, with Alan Jones behind the wheel of a Ford powered FW07. Nigel Mansell secured the team¹s second Austrian victory in 1987 driving the FW11B in the Honda era and, in 1997, Jacques Villeneuve claimed the inaugural win at the A1-Ring¹s debut driving a Williams Renault FW19. - Accidents, retirements and two safety cars characterised the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix. After 71 exciting laps, Juan Pablo Montoya crossed the finishing line in third place behind the Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. Ralf Schumacher finished just 0.7 seconds behind Montoya. - Barrichello qualified for pole position in 1:08.082. Race winner Michael Schumacher claimed the fastest race lap at 1:09.298, setting a new lap record. - The 2003 Austrian Grand Prix will start at 14:00 hrs on Sunday 18th May. The race will cover 71 laps of 4.326 km, equating to a race distance of 307.146 kilometres. Juan Pablo Montoya #3 Ralf Schumacher #4 DOB 20/09/75 - Bogota (COL) 30/06/75 Hürth (DEU) Nationality Colombian German Residence Monte Carlo (MCO) Salzburg (AUT) Marital status Married to Connie Married to Cora, one son (David) Height 1.68 m 1.78 m Weight 72 kg 73 kg F1 debut 2001, Melbourne 1997, Melbourne GP starts 39 105 Poles 10 1 Wins 1 (01 ITA) 4 (01 SMR, CAN, DEU, 02 MYS) Points (total) 96 194 Points 2003 15 (7th) 17 (6th) Fastest laps 6 6 2003 Qualifying Race Points Qualifying Race Points Australian GP 3 2 8 9 8 1 Malaysian GP 8 12 0 17 4 5 Brazilian GP 9 - 0 6 7 2 San Marino GP 4 7 2 2 4 5 Spanish GP 9 4 5 7 5 4 Having collected 32 points in 2003, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is currently in fourth position of the FIA Formula One World Constructors Championship. Paddock Media Briefings: Thursday 14:00-14:30 JPM (TVs followed by print media) - HP motorhome 15:00 RS FIA Press Conference - Media Centre Friday 15:45 JPM+RS (five minutes of TV interviews) motorhome 16:00 MT FIA Press Conference Media Centre Saturday Post qualifying JPM+RS to sustain live TV interviews (exit of the FIA garage) 16:30-16:45 JPM (TVs followed by print media) - HP motorhome 17:00-17:30 RS (TVs followed by print media) - BMW motorhome 17:30-18:00 Frank Williams + Mario Theissen (print media only) - BMW motorhome