The Hindu : Ralf Schumacher does it again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 07, 2003

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

Ralf Schumacher does it again

MAGNY COURS (France) JULY 6. Ralf Schumacher won the French GP on Sunday, his second victory in a week and lead another 1-2 finish for Williams-BMW. Juan Pablo Montoya was second, 13.8 seconds behind his teammate.

Michael Schumacher of Ferrari took third after languishing in fifth for most of the race. He was helped when both McLaren cars ahead of him encountered problems. Kimi Raikkonen ended fourth and David Coulthard fifth.

It was the sixth career victory and second this season for Ralf Schumacher.

``I still don't believe it. Two wins in a row and finally from the pole,'' he said.

``If the two of us keep working like this we can keep winning but there are circuits where it will be quite tough for us,'' Ralf said.

Since June 1, the Williams team has won three of four races, with two 1-2 finishes to go along with a first and third and a second and third.

In the season standings, Michael Schumacher still has the lead over Raikkonen, 64-56. Ralf Schumacher now has 53 points. The champion, while acknowledging the current superiority of the Williams, said: ``We feel confident the rest of the way.''

It was a sharp contrast to last year when Michael Schumacher clinched the F1 title with the French win and six races to go.

Now with six races left, the point structure has changed to make it closer.

The second place is worth eight points compared to six points a year ago with a victory still counting 10 points.

In Sunday's race, Michael Schumacher closed to 19.5 seconds at the end of the 70 laps of the 4.411km Nevers Magny-Cours circuit but it was never a race as the Williams moved away.

Mark Webber, in a Jaguar, was sixth and Rubens Barrichello, in the other Ferrari, was seventh with Olivier Panis driving his Toyota in eighth.

Barrichello spun while crossing the line for the first time and dropped to 20th and last. He spent the rest of race passing cars to move into seventh at the finish.

Ralf Schumacher had the pole position for the third time in four races and held the lead over Montoya with Raikkonen third and Michael Schumacher fourth at the end of the first lap.

The two Williams cars were 1-2 virtually all the way. Ralf was the last of the leaders to have his first pit stop and stayed in first after his at the end of 18 laps.

Michael Schumacher lost fourth to Coulthard and dropped farther behind Ralf, who began to extend his lead over Montoya and the rest of the field.

At the halfway point, Ralf led by 8.1 seconds over Montoya with Raikkonen 16.8 seconds behind. Michael Schumacher was in fifth, almost 25 seconds back and losing nearly a second a lap.

After the second pit stops, the top five remained the same but Michael had lost another five seconds.

On the third round of pit stops starting with about 22 laps from finish, the McLarens came in early and it forced to concede them a place to Michael Schumacher, who stayed out five laps longer before stopping.

He was helped when Coulthard left a bit early and had to stop and restart because of a problem with fuelling. That cost him almost 10 seconds.

Ralf was nursing a 2.5 second lead over Montoya before the pits stops.

He came out just ahead of his teammate at the 51st lap and was less than a second ahead.

However, two laps later he was 3.5 seconds ahead and stretched it to nearly 10 seconds at the end of 60 laps and 13.7 seconds at 65 with five laps left and Michael Schumacher in third, 26 seconds behind.

``It was close but not close enough,'' Montoya said. Both Williams drivers eased off in the final laps and were never challenged.

The next race is the British Grand Prix on July 20. — AP

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