At the kick-off of Formula One’s European season, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, took third and seventh places respectively.
For a long time it looked as if the BMW WilliamsF1 Team would score its best team result of the 2004 season so far with Juan Pablo and Ralf taking third and fourth positions. On the 50th lap, however, Ralf spun after Renault’s Fernando Alonso had touched his WilliamsF1 BMW FW26 while trying to pass him. Consequently, Ralf lost several positions and had to make do with seventh place.
The race started with another controversial moment when Juan Pablo tried to pass second-placed Michael Schumacher. According to Juan Pablo, Schumacher closed the door, thus forcing the BMW WilliamsF1 Team driver off track. "There was no damage," he said, "but he hit me hard enough to put me on the grass. It was a bit disappointing. I thought I could have had him there."
Moments later, Ralf - who had tried to profit from this incident by passing Juan Pablo - only just succeeded in avoiding a collision with Juan Pablo by taking to the grass.
Following these thrilling incidents, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team pairing drove a solid race. On the one hand, they weren’t able to close the gap to the leaders, but on the other they seemed to be out of reach for their pursuers, until Renault’s Fernando Alonso closed in on fourth-placed Ralf Schumacher after the last round of pit-stops and tried to pass the German resulting in an incident that is to be investigated by the stewards after the race.
BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen, said after the race: “Juan Pablo has scored the best possible result. Just as we had expected, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button were faster and third place was the best we could hope to take today. But it’s a pity that Ralf lost several valuable points for the Manufacturers’ Championship due to the collision with Alonso.”
“B.A.R. has made the biggest step forward this year,” added Theissen, “and I believe that we will be involved in a close battle with them and Renault over the course of the entire season. But our measures to improve the car are beginning to pay off, and I am confident that we will be able to close the gap to Ferrari just as we did over the course of the 2003 season.”
The next race of the 2004 Formula One World Championship, the Spanish Grand Prix, will be held at the 'Circuit de Catalunya', near Barcelona, on 9th May.
