MAY 10, 2002

Head squashes new gearbox rumors

WILLIAMS Technical Director Patrick Head spent part of Thursday's press conference putting to rest rumors that the team is working on a new gearbox for the FW24. The rumors started in the Italian press and caught on with several newspapers.

When asked when the new box will be unveiled, Head responded, "Well, it's the first I've ever heard of it, apart from quotes in newspapers. I think it's remarkable how one magazine feeds off another and doesn't seem to have any interest in whether there's any element of truth in it. I was shown something in an Italian magazine, the only thing I know of is that there was a name of a German company who has made a small number of gears for us but that's about it. Otherwise there was absolutely no truth in the story at all."