- News>
- Motorsports
Ralf looks to himself as brother duels teammate for F1 crown
Indianapolis, Sept 27: Blood is thicker than water, but there is a thin line when it comes to Formula One fuel and Ralf Schumacher knows it all too well.
Indianapolis, Sept 27: Blood is thicker than water,
but there is a thin line when it comes to Formula One fuel and
Ralf Schumacher knows it all too well.
The 28-year-old German driver enters tomorrow's United
States Grand Prix as a man in the middle with William’s BMW
teammate Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia dueling his older
brother, Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, for the F1 title.
"I believe we have the strongest package, no doubt about
it," Ralf Schumacher said. "It's going to be a very tough race
for Ferrari if they want to win."
Michael Schumacher, seeking an unprecedented sixth F1
crown, has 82 points, three more than Montoya and seven ahead
of Finland's Kimi Raikkonen entering the penultimate race of
the season with a chance to clinch the championship.
A victory or runner-up finish by Michael could be enough
to capture the crown, while Montoya must finish fifth or
better to ensure the quest continues to the October 12 F1
finale in Japan.
Asked whom he would help in a duel between family and teammate, Ralf Schumacher made it clear that he was going to help himself first.
"If I'm in position to win the race, I will certainly try," said the younger Schumacher brother, who seeks his third victory of the season and the seventh of his F1 career. "Juan never needed my help to get to this point anyway," he added.
Asked whom he thought Ralf would help, Michael Schumacher replied, "I wouldn't know the answer."
While claiming he would help his brother if the positions were reversed, Michael Schumacher admitted that he knows F1 loyalty and brotherly love are two different things. "He works for Williams, not me," the elder Schumacher said.
Ralf Schumacher's practice session on Saturday morning ended early when he skidded through the eighth turn and through grass before his car hit a retaining wall.
Ralf won in 2001 at Germany, Canada and San Marino, last year at Malaysia and took back-to-back grand prix victories this year at the European and French events.
Bureau Report
Asked whom he would help in a duel between family and teammate, Ralf Schumacher made it clear that he was going to help himself first.
"If I'm in position to win the race, I will certainly try," said the younger Schumacher brother, who seeks his third victory of the season and the seventh of his F1 career. "Juan never needed my help to get to this point anyway," he added.
Asked whom he thought Ralf would help, Michael Schumacher replied, "I wouldn't know the answer."
While claiming he would help his brother if the positions were reversed, Michael Schumacher admitted that he knows F1 loyalty and brotherly love are two different things. "He works for Williams, not me," the elder Schumacher said.
Ralf Schumacher's practice session on Saturday morning ended early when he skidded through the eighth turn and through grass before his car hit a retaining wall.
Ralf won in 2001 at Germany, Canada and San Marino, last year at Malaysia and took back-to-back grand prix victories this year at the European and French events.
Bureau Report