APRIL 24, 2001

Ralf wary of traction control

FRESH from his maiden Grand Prix win, Ralf Schumacher has expressed his concern that his BMW-Williams team's traction control system is not 100 per cent ready as they prepare to introduce it at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

Schumacher, who claimed victory in San Marino last week, is aiming to continue his impressive form this season but is wary of the effect traction control will have.

"We still have some work to do to improve our traction control," said Schumacher. "All in all we just have to wait and see what will happen.

"Barcelona is a combination of fast and slow corners so it is quite interesting and demanding. Tire wear can be a problem there.

"Last year I finished fourth and in 1999 fifth, so it shows that normally it is a circuit that suits me. It's difficult to predict where we are standing, because we had some very good tests there and then others that were not so promising."

Schumacher's team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya is also expecting a tough race despite winning the Formula 3000 event at the Circuit de Catalunya in 1998.

The Colombian driver said: "Barcelona has been a good track for me so far. I raced there in 1998 in Formula 3000 and I won. We just have to see what happens now.

"I am sure when we get there we will figure it out and hopefully be competitive. It will be quite interesting. For me I am really looking forward to getting to the end of the race to score some points."