Michael Schumacher will pilot Ferrari’s F-2002 in the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, but his optimism might be blunted by the confidence of Williams BMW’s Juan-Pablo Montoya. Let the mind games begin!
Four-time world champion Michael Schumacher will pilot Ferrari’s F-2002 in the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, but his optimism might be blunted by the confidence of Williams BMW’s Juan-Pablo Montoya, who is determined to take the win he was denied at Interlagos last year.
Whereas Schumacher will race the F-2002 for the first time this season, his team-mate Rubens Barrichello will not have the option of running in the new machine at his home Grand Prix.
However, the German, who won the Australian Grand Prix, will have the option of reverting to the F2001 if the new car isn’t on the pace.
The decision to take both cars to Brazil for Schumacher was made this week by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and the team boss Jean Todt. Their decision followed a positive report from the Scuderia’s technical and engine directors after last week’s testing sessions in Barcelona, Spain.
"The development programme on the new car, which has gone ahead over the past few weeks, means we have been able to take the F-2002 to the Interlagos race," said Todt. "The new car has proved to be quick and reliable.
"We will send one F-2002 car to Interlagos, chassis 220, which was given a shakedown test by Luca Badoer at Fiorano. The car will be allocated to Schumacher, who will have a modified F-2001 as a spare car. Barrichello will have two modified F-2001s," he added.
"I was optimistic before; now I am even more optimistic," was Schumacher’s response. “In F1, you must always go forward. The F-2002 is faster than the F-2001 and therefore I was delighted with the team’s decision. We have never driven the new car in conditions similar to the ones we’ll have in Brazil, but all our tests have indicated that the F-2002 is reliable."
But Montoya will be out for revenge at Interlagos. Last season he took the lead with an audacious pass on Schumacher into the first corner and went on to dominate the first half of the race before he was eliminated by the lapped Jos Verstappen in an Arrows. This year a win in the race would put him at the top of the drivers’ standings for the first time in his Formula One career.
Furthermore, the Colombian believes that the presence of thousands of his countrymen at the circuit will help him go one better than the two second places he’s taken in the opening rounds of this year’s championship.
"There’s a very Latin atmosphere there, which I obviously enjoy very much," he said. "It’s good fun. Last year I was very close to scoring my first points in Formula One, but Verstappen put an early end to my chances. I hope this year I can make up for the lost opportunity, especially because last season we were stronger at Interlagos than in Malaysia."
The Colombian also rubbished Schumacher’s comment that McLaren’s David Coulthard would prove the strongest challenge to his championship campaign in 2002.
"I don’t accept what Schumacher has to say," said Montoya. "I am running second in the championship. Williams BMW look to be stronger than McLaren. You could say that at the moment I look like the best contender he’s got. But it might change as the year goes on. From his position he might say his brother is his biggest rival. If I was him, I would say that."
Team-mate Ralf Schumacher is equally as determined to follow up his success at Malaysia with his second straight win. Like Montoya, Ralf knows victory will put him on top of the drivers’ championship.
"I strongly believe that in Brazil we can beat Ferrari again," Ralf said. "We (Williams BMW) like the Interlagos track, even if it isn’t easy to find a compromise between not being slow on the straights but quick enough through the infield. After testing in Barcelona, where we have tried out a couple of small aerodynamic changes, I am pretty confident about racing in Brazil."