Williams gave Ferrari a tough time says Brawn

“During the first stint, Michael had some problems with the tyres,” explained Ross Brawn. “But then, after the first stop, things began to work they way they should. It was one of the toughest races of the year, because the Williams were very strong. Given the high temperatures, we tried to look after the tyres.”

Michael’s race was relatively problem free apart from the blistering tyres he seemed to have very little to worry about other than keeping on track and staying ahead. This was not the case for Rubens Barrichello who had to start the race in the spare car after a small problem was noticed on his race car as he made his way to the grid. Then his second stop was lengthened thanks to the fuel flap not opening to allow the re-fuelling rig to pump more fuel into his tank.

“Before the start, we spotted a transmission problem, so we preferred to use the spare rather than take a risk. Unfortunately, during the second pit stop, the fuel filler flap did not open, but we don’t know why at the moment. We will have to investigate its causes.”