Tuesday February 29th, 2000

Attending the annual Hannover Fair on behalf of sponsor Compaq, Ralf Schumacher remained level-headed about the task ahead of the Williams team, in the upcoming 2000 F1 season. "I am optimistic about the forthcoming season, but also realistic," Schumacher said. "With a new engine and new package, you will always have problems. You just have to be aware of these problems in order to fix them as soon as possible."

Having had to deal with torrential rain in Kyalami, South Africa and experiencing engine difficulties in Jerez, Spain, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team have had less than an ideal start to the year.

But, despite the setbacks, Schumacher highlighted several aspects of the WilliamsF1 BMW FW22 that give cause for optimism.

"The designers have found a good solution with the aerodynamics and mechanics to give the grip required. I am really happy with the car as it is, but we will have to wait until Melbourne to see how it handles under race conditions," he said.

And, as to whether or not he would be able to give the team a debut victory in 2000, Schumacher was diplomatic in his reply.

"Obviously I would like to win anywhere this season, but at this point in time it is unrealistic to reach for such heights. I hope that we have a similar season to last year."