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| |  Sunday, 15 July, 2001, 20:06 GMT 21:06 UK Williams blame Ralf Williams allege Schumacher held up Montoya By BBC Sport Online's Andrew Benson at Silverstone Williams have criticised their driver Ralf Schumacher after he refused to move over for his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya for the second race in succession. Montoya came up behind Schumacher on lap 28 and was held up by him until lap 35, when the German came in for his pit stop. The two men were on different pit-stop strategies, with Montoya doing two stops and Schumacher one. And Williams technical director Patrick Head claimed that Schumacher's obstinacy cost the Colombian a place on the rostrum.
As it was, Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello, who Schumacher was trying to pass when Montoya was behind him, finished third. Head said: "If Ralf had let Juan Pablo through, as we asked him to do, Juan Pablo would have finished third." Schumacher said: "I didn't let Juan Pablo past because I knew I was on the same strategy as Barrichello, so I was confident I could pass him." Schumacher also held up Montoya at the French Grand Prix two weeks ago. On that occasion, Montoya had chosen a different tyre, which was slower in qualifying but better suited for the race. He caught Schumacher after his second pit stop but refused to let him pass despite being asked to do so by the team. On that occasion, Schumacher claimed he had a radio problem and did not hear the order.
But this was lost when Williams had a problem fitting one of the wheels to Montoya's car, costing him around two seconds. Schumacher retired with an engine problem the lap after his pit stop. Montoya refused to be drawn into the row. "I was faster than Ralf [at that point], but we were on two different strategies," he said. "I spoke to the team on the radio about it. They said: 'Ralf's trying to get past Rubens. Turn down your fuel mixture and take it easy.'" | |
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