Williams back on track

Ralf celebrates his first Grand Prix success

BBC motor racing correspondent Jonathan Legard reflects on Williams' re-emergence as a F1 force.

Imola. After the events of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix and the legal saga of 1997, no team reacts more deeply to mention of this medieval Italian town than Williams.

How ironic, then, that Williams should announce their reinstatement as a Formula One force at the circuit that did so much to knock them off their pedestal.

The Senna trial cost Williams in so many ways not least in winning - the raison d'etre of team owner, Sir Frank Williams, and technical director, Patrick Head.

It's really good to be back, but we have to ensure it's not a fizzle

  Patrick Head

Until Ralf Schumacher's perfect 10-pointer, the team hadn't won since that season of courtroom appearances.

"The events of 1994 put a conservatism in us, and the challenge of the 1997 championship meant we didn't do enough research and development," admitted Head in February.

Now Easter Sunday 2001 may come to be seen as the turning point in resurrecting a team which has endured its longest, leanest run without victory.

"It's a fine piece of work by everybody at Williams and BMW, and remarkably at Michelin," said the smiling team owner.

"It's only their fourth race since they came back after 16 years out of Formula One. That is quite special."

"It means we've broken our duck for the last three years. (We) took three races longer than Ron (Dennis) to do it.

"He did it in three years and one race. We did it in three years and four, so we took a bit longer than Ron, unfortunately!"

Sir Frank Williams shows no sign of easing off

"I've been in Formula One for so many years and seen so many things go wrong, you tend to adopt a slightly pessimistic attitude," added Williams.

"So it's a pleasant surprise for success to come so early in the season.

"The writing was on the wall in Malaysia that we had a fairly strong vehicle and a very strong engine from BMW."

Ralf Schumacher had finished fifth at Sepang but either side came two races wrecked by violent collisions.

In Australia, Jacques Villeneuve vaulted over the back of him at 180mph. In Brazil, Rubens Barrichello was the culprit.

This first race in Europe was the first true opportunity for driver, car, engine and tyres to show their worth.

And the result was decisively encouraging, and vindicated the team's faith in Schumacher junior.

"It was a very good race by Ralf," said Williams.

"He made no mistakes at all. He and David (Coulthard) tried very hard to break each other on their first set of tyres."

They are a contender. There is a long way to go but they will be stiff opposition

  Ron Dennis, McLaren

"It just shows how tough grand prix racing is. There was no quarter given, and that was hand-to-hand fighting all the way."

Typically Williams held back from bold predictions of challenging for the championship. He insisted the team was still a long way back from Ferrari and McLaren.

Patrick Head also erred on the side of caution.

"It's really good to be back, but we have to ensure it's not a fizzle," he said.

"We have got to be able to follow it up next year."

But McLaren's Ron Dennis, was more forthcoming, sensing a much more immediate battle at the front of the grid.

"They are a contender. There is a long way to go but they will be stiff opposition," said Dennis.

Without doubt, when Juan Pablo Montoya starts getting the luck and the reliability he deserves, the championship promises to be as spicy as it has been for years.

Berger's return to Imola was poignant

Gerhard Berger's presence as BMW's Motorsport Director also carried huge significance on this occasion.

Imola claimed the life of his best friend and former team mate, Ayrton Senna, at the wheel of a Williams.

He himself almost died at the same corner in the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix.

The coincidences continue. Berger scored his first points in Formula Three and Formula One at Imola.

And he was the last F1 driver to win for BMW in Mexico in 1986.

As if that wasn't enough. Sir Frank Williams celebrates his 59th birthday on Monday.

While many men choose to ease off at such an age and stage, the signs are that Williams is about to go up another gear at least.