Weber says Williams favour JPM!!

[Damon]

This one's a classic! It seems Willi Weber (management guru to the Schu's) feels that Williams favour JPM to the detremant of Ralf:

"I don't think that's right and it's not ideal for Ralf. Williams are now protecting only Montoya and that's not okay."

But it is ok for Ferrari to clearly favour Michael?

[pole2pole]

Yes I seen that one Damon my ribbs are still sore from laughing Willi should be on stage. He has to understand that the way williams operate is that its the best man wins. Maybe he should recommend ralf to move to ferrari! and see how he is treated there.

[Valve Bounce]

From F1-Live:

...... according to Weber, Ralf is the one more likely to challenge his brother, if the BMW powered outfit supply him with the necessary equipment.

" Ferrari and Williams are two different worlds. At Williams there are too many people making decisions. That makes everything more complicated and it's not always easy for Ralf. Ralf has a driver beside him who was hailed as a hero and a future World Champion after just three races by their boss. I don't think that's right and it's not ideal for Ralf. Williams are now protecting only Montoya, and that's not OK,” he told the Bild. "If the car is right, the driver most likely to challenge Michael is Ralf, not Montoya. Our goal is quite clear, and that is for Ralf to become World Champion for BMW.WilliamsF1 before his contract expires in 2004."

Does this mean that SchM is going to retire after 2003?

[Yoong Montoya]

I think that would only happen if Ferrari totally dominate next season and Michael gets bored with no competition.

[Valve Bounce]

Wait!! There's more. This is from Willi:

"At the moment there is more in favour of him (SchM)pursuing his career than against it," he told Wednesday's edition of the Bild. "His best years are probably still ahead of him. He likes what he's doing. For me it's difficult to imagine that he will quit in two years."

This can only indicate a miracle will take place - Ralf will race his brother contrary to our dire predictions; F1 will be saved, and Max will be the hero.

[Wrex]

Ahh yes, King Willi is making himself look rather silly is'nt he. A very stupid and hypocritical statement if ever I heard one.

OT, but I read once that his earnings as a manager would place him 3rd highest if he were a F1 driver? If so he's Willi, not silly.

[mac]

Willi's a funny guy. He wasn't complaining and asking for equal treatment in 1999, when Ralf got everything and Alex got a piece of **** that could barely last a practice session, let alone a race distance.

[Lee Janotta]

Indeed, Mac.

And unlike Ralf, his teammates don't go sharing Williams race strategy with his big brother!

[JonesF1]

Very true. Also Weber is blaming Williams in a round about way for Ralf not being more successful. I would not say something that dangerous with all thats going on at Williams these days. But raising hell and boosting up their client is probably part of the job of a manager in such a public arena.

[f1manoz]

Perhaps Weber would be better off telling Ralf how to RACE?!? Who knows, perhaps he could even give him a few pointers on such things as race-craft and how to overtake, particularly his own brother....

[Valve Bounce]

Personally, I believe that Frank made a big mistake in signing Ralf for such a long period. Basically he not only limited his options for driver selections, but also limited his options on the orders he could give to Ralf. And this is from a member here (me) who used to sing the praises of Ralf.

[Glen]

The big thing missing from Weber's comments is evidence. I can't see any evidence of favourtism at Williams, and even if that were on the cards I certainly know who I'd favour!

[Jordi]

Wasn't Willi called "Mr. 20%"? Why doesn't he cash instead of saying these things...?

[Don K]

I seem to remember a race this season, in which team orders prevented Ralf from overtaking Montoya.

And two races last year in which Ralf refused to let Montoya pass him (claiming that he didn't hear the team order because of radio failure).

But I don't remember a single race in which team orders where given in favour of Ralf.


Did all of you forget about this?
Or is there something wrong with my memory?

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Don K
I seem to remember a race this season, in which team orders prevented Ralf from overtaking Montoya.

Which race was that Don?

[Don K]

Originally posted by mr v
Which race was that Don?

I don't know.
It was halfway the season, either just before or just after Ralf temporarily overtook Juan in the WDC standings.

I'll try to find out later this weekend.

[Jordi]

Even if there were team orders at Williams, the other person he's managering (TGF) benefits from team orders. What's the difference?

[Nicholas]

Originally posted by Damon
This one's a classic! It seems Willi Weber (management guru to the Schu's) feels that Williams favour JPM to the detremant of Ralf:

But it is ok for Ferrari to clearly favour Michael?

Is a) anyone surprised and b) does anyone NOT know why (if you don't, come over here and I'll beat you up ) Bearing in mind that one has a couple of world championships to win, you tend to prefer the better driver...

In response to the second question, it is okay 'cos it says in the contract, and it doesn't really matter since Ferrari will win no matter what. Apart from the fact that TGF is generally regarded to be the faster of the two anyway.

[pole2pole]

I think that williams are not to far away from hitting the top again and there would be no better way to see this than to watch montoya and ralf battle it out with some fantastic wheel to wheel racing and may the best man win. G.Berger from B.M.W has said that williams have the strongest driver line up in f1 and I agree with him 100% and with Sir Frank Williams very fair approach to his drivers I think we will see something special here f1 really needs this to happen and the last thing f1 needs is another Michael Schumacher type contract so Mr Weber I tell you this f1 is all about man and machine and may the best man win and when a driver gets himself up to first position he got there by some bloody good driving and not by a contract.

[Don K]

Originally posted by mr v
Which race was that Don?

I'm not quite sure.

I seem to remember that the team orders stated that the Williams drivers were not to race each other after the second(?) pit stop.

Looking at the data from the TAG Heurer site, I would guess:
- either Austria, when Ralf was closing in quickly during lap 66 and 67,
- or France, when Ralf was closing in quickly during lap 66 and 67.

Even if the team orders realy did turn out in favour of Montoya three times (of which I'm not totally convinced yet), I think that's pure coincidence.

[Damon]

Here's what good old Nigal Roebuck had to say on the ralf matter:

Dear Nigel,

This week Willy Weber openly criticised the Williams team for giving Montoya more support than Ralf Schumacher. I think this is complete nonsense and very unfair, and Mr Weber is just trying to speak up the value of his driver and also hide the fact that he has been beaten by a driver who spent only his second year in F1. What is your take on this story?

László Mátyás
Budapest, Hungary
------------------------------------------------------------
Dear László,

I entirely agree with you. On occasion, the self-important Herr Weber is given to saying some daft things, invariably in defence of the Schumachers, both of whom he manages, of course.

On this occasion, our Willy has been having a go at Williams, perceiving the team to 'favour' Juan Pablo Montoya over Ralf. There is no doubt whatever that the majority of the people in the team think Juan better than Ralf, but that's no more than common sense: he is.

There is also no doubt that there is considerably more affection for Montoya than for Schumacher Jr, and you can't be surprised about that, either. As people, the two could hardly be more different. Montoya is friendly and outgoing, whereas his team-mate is reserved and invariably unsmiling.

JPM goes to the factory a lot, just out of enthusiasm, where Ralf does not. As one senior team member puts it, "I don't think Ralf's ever been to the factory - unless it's for a seat fitting or to pick up a cheque..."

Both men are, of course, major stars in F1, but Ralf, dare I say it, arrived very much a superstar in his own mind - indeed, a friend of mine who knew him in his German F3 days says he was like that then, his attitude very much, 'I'm Michael Schumacher's brother, and I can do what I like...' And his brattish behaviour at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed tended rather to bear that out.

Williams-BMW, like every other team, were blown aside by Ferrari this year, but they did win a race, in Malaysia, and the irony is that it was scored by Ralf, rather than Juan, who qualified on the front row alongside Michael, and was then absurdly punished with a 'drive through' penalty after the two of them had tangled at the first corner.

In terms of points, there wasn't much between the Williams boys at the end of the season, but is anyone seriously going to suggest that Ralf made as big an impression as Juan Pablo? All right, I know none of JPM's seven pole positions was converted into a race win, but, given the limitations of his car and tyres, it's really not too surprising. Just on the strength of his Gilles-like performance at Silverstone, I'd put him ahead of Ralf...