Formula One: NOW LET'S RACE

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, May 12, 2002 | by MICHAEL DERBY in Spielberg

FERRARI have been urged to put on a show and let their drivers race in the Austrian Grand Prix today.

Rubens Barrichello took pole position, two places ahead of team- mate and title leader Michael Schumacher, in a dramatic qualifying session yesterday.

But Barrichello was ordered to give up second place to Schumacher here last year and the fear in Formula One is that Ferrari will back their No.1 again if he gets past his brother Ralf in the Williams BMW.

The older Schumacher desperately wants to win here, the only circuit that hasn't fallen to his sublime talent.

Barrichello claims he has been assured he would not have to forfeit victory but Ferrari refused to reveal their strategy.

Williams technical director Patrick Head called on the Italian camp to give the public a fair deal.

Head said: "Ferrari have done a magnificent job this year and it would be good for the sport if Rubens was allowed to race Michael.

"We at Williams have had periods of dominance but we have allowed our drivers to race.

"Most of the time its not an issue at Ferrari because Michael is usually the quicker driver but last year here they made Rubens move over and I don't believe that is right.

"Rubens is driving very well at the moment and has been unlucky in terms of the reliability of his car.

"I'm certainly not suggesting Ferrari are making less of an effort on Rubens' behalf, just that they should be even-handed with their drivers and let them race."

Barrichello has only one finish and six points to show for the five rounds of the championship so far, but victory today could launch a serious challenge to Schumacher.

The German has a 21-point advantage over his closest rival, Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya, who lines up fourth today.

Williams should give Ferrari more of a contest on this track but Head admitted: "It's going to be bloody difficult to stop Michael in the championship."

Barrichello, who has the security of a new two-year contract, is in the best form of his life.

He made light of two high-speed scares and a 10-minute hold-up in the session. An oil spill, dust and heavy traffic made the track treacherous, but the Brazilian kept his nerve to clinch the fifth pole of his career. Now he seeks only his second Grand Prix win.

He said: "You have to be lucky on this track and I thought I was going to have a big shunt. I was too close to Mika Salo's Toyota for comfort.

"But I was determined to make sure Michael didn't beat me, as he did in the last two qualifying sessions. Luckily it worked my way this time."

A puzzled Schumacher said: "My car just wasn't performing. It wasn't fast enough. But Rubens did a very good job and I'm in a reasonable position for the race."

David Coulthard had another low-key session, qualifying eighth, two places behind his McLaren Mercedes team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Jenson Button was 13th in his Renault, Allan McNish 14th for Toyota and Eddie Irvine a distant 20th in the sluggish Jaguar.

Despite Jaguar's poor showing, parent company Ford have publicly guaranteed their Formula One future.