AT&T Williams F1

Kazuki’s seventh place in the Spanish Grand Prix was a good result for AT&T Williams. Neither of our cars were that competitive prior to the race, so to come away with a couple of points and strengthen our fourth position in the Constructors’ Championship was good news.

However, the result could have been even better because both of us were running in the points until my engine let go on lap 42. I got absolutely no warning of the failure; one moment I was accelerating out of the final corner as normal, the next I’d lost all power and had to retire. It was the team’s first DNF of the year.

Of course it was disappointing to retire, particularly when you can see with hindsight that I’d have overtaken Jarno Trulli in sixth place before the end of the race, but what was more frustrating was practice and qualifying.

We introduced a new aerodynamic package on the FW30 in Spain. It had shown itself to be a good step forward during testing at the Circuit de Catalunya the previous week, but when we returned there for the race, the track conditions were different and we struggled. To overcome these grip problems we changed the set-up on my car and that turned out to be the wrong thing to do. I struggled for grip and it was only when I adopted something close to Kazuki’s set-up for the race that I had the car to my liking.

I made a great start from 15th position on the grid and managed to overtake Timo Glock, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello into the first corner. By the end of the opening lap I was up to 11th, from where I could lay the foundations for a strong race. I made my first pitstop on lap 22, just before Heikki Kovalainen had his crash, and I was up to seventh by lap 35. Prior to my retirement, the race was going well.

There’s no test session planned between now and the next race, the Turkish Grand Prix, so we need to analyse the data from Barcelona to ensure that we hit the ground running at Istanbul Park. I finished seventh there last year and think the track will suit the FW30, so I’m looking forward to the race.

Before I sign off, I want to wish Heikki a swift recovery from his nasty shunt in Spain. He went off at one of the most dangerous corners on the lap and at the worst possible angle because he hit the barriers head-on. I hope he gets well soon.

Until next time,

Nico