Anything can happen says Schumacher
“Race strategy will be the key.”
[23/06/02 - 01:14]
Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher had a busy time during qualifying for the European Grand Prix. In what turned out to be another thrilling battle for pole position, Colombian Juan-Pablo Montoya claimed the pole position with the perfect lap, recording the best that was just nine-thousandth's of a second faster than his teammate Ralf Schumacher to make it an all-BMW-Williams front row.
But for Michael, the day was far from perfect. The German ace was forced to switch to his spare car after his first lap into qualifying when he had a problem with the gearbox and a few minor errors decided the outcome and he will start today's ninth round of the season from third position on the grid.
“On my last run, when I could have got pole, I made a small mistake at the chicane and I went a bit too deep into the final turn,” explained the World Champion.“That meant I ended up on the dirty side of the track and I did not have enough traction.”
But, he is not downhearted with the outcome and believes that today's race could also be full of surprises…..
“At the Nurburgring, anything can happen. Race strategy will be the key, especially taking into account the differing performance levels of the two brands of tyre over the past grand prix. Then there is the weather to consider. The uncertainty over the conditions could make for a very interesting race.”
The track is new to the entire field with changes, especially in the first corner, catching several drivers out already. There has been mixed reactions from all 22 men and Michael believes that it will be the scene for plenty of action.
“I think we can expect some action on this new part of the circuit,” he predicted. “As for overtaking opportunities, you can try it at the end of the straight and going into the chicane. However, you have to be careful not to attack the chicane too aggressively as it could damage tyres and suspension.”