Frank Williams has warned Ferrari to “watch out when Juan’s about” after the team’s technical director Ross Brawn called Juan-Pablo Montoya’s driving skills “crude”.
Frank Williams has warned Ferrari to “watch out when Juan’s about” after the team’s technical director Ross Brawn called Juan-Pablo Montoya’s driving skills “crude”.
Brawn was reacting to Montoya’s overtaking manoeuvre on Michael Schumacher during the European Grand Prix on Sunday that left the world champion spinning his wheels in the gravel trap.
“It was mad of Montoya. He could have taken both of them off the circuit,” brawn said after the race. “It was a very crude overtaking move and he has done it several times before. He is not a classy driver in that respect.”
But Williams and Schumacher did not agree. “I thought Juan Pablo’s overtaking manoeuvre was the sort that we should see every race, every time,” Williams told . “That is the way it should be done, you know: ‘watch out when Juan’s about’. It’s tough to call on Michael and I am not gloating, but few people sadly overtake where Juan Pablo ever dares to overtake. Television needs racing, a lot of racing, a lot of overtaking, not ‘after you mate’.”
Williams said Montoya’s move added spice to the race. “It warmed up in the middle and I thought it was a very good race. Ralf drove like a metronome, he was going to be unbeatable, unpassable, once he got the lead. And the race team do a brilliant job – the pitstops are outstanding time after time. People who do their homework will find that in the last two years we have been fastest in the pitlane more times than any other team.”
Schumacher said he had no problem with the manoeuvre. “It was a racing incident,” said Schumacher. “Juan gave me a little bit of air to breathe, very little but just enough to survive, but then I ran out of track and we just got together a little bit. But that’s how I would have done it on the other side and that’s the way you have to race.
“We just came together a tiny amount and probably being so close you lose the aerodynamics as well. My car just started to slide and went into a spin. I would have been happier if he had left me a little more space, but it’s not his job to make me happy!
“We have had enough fights and sometimes it works in your favour and sometimes it works against you. He came off worst in Brazil a while ago and this time it was my turn. If nobody wants to give way, that’s what happens.”