Sam Michael says Rubens Barrichello’s car was not underweight – Formula 1 news
Ruben Barrichello topped the tables on the final day of the Jerez test session in a Cosworth powered car FW33.
He clearly outraced the bigger engines so the question has arisen that his car was probably underweight.
Williams director Sam Michael has denied these rumours and said, “Absolute nonsense, the time is real; anyone who knows our team knows that we don't run underweight.”
“The time is down to Rubens using the super-soft tyres, and of course he had a little less fuel in the tank but the KERS elements were all on board, we only cut the connection from the generator to the engine because we had had a problem with the cooling,”
he added.
The weather condition on the final day of the afternoon session in Jerez was wet so no team tried to beat the fastest time. Barrichello himself posted the time in the morning session and was not even close to it in the afternoon session.
This fact has gone in favour of Cosworth-powered machine but the critics have not absorbed this yet and pointed on Barrichello’s fastest time.
This is not a new issue as the same argument was raised against seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher when he posted the fastest time on day two of the Jerez test. Schumacher later clarified that he was on a longer stint and his car was carrying
a 10-lap fuel, during which he posted the fastest time.
Williams’ performance has not been noticeable in the last few seasons as they have managed only one pole position in 2009 when Nico Hulkenberg drove for them and took the pole in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
In 2010, Rubens finished 10th with 47 points and Nico Hulkenberg finished 14th with 22 points. Williams’ ranking in constructors’ championship was 6th.
This season they have left out Nico Hulkenberg and signed a new rookie Pastor Maldonado.
Barrichello’s fastest lap was just a start that Williams’ and Cosworth had. There is another test session coming up which will be followed by the main events.
Williams’ Cosworth machine will have lots of time to prove that they are actually capable of doing this and that it was not just a lucky break on the final day of Jerez test.
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