Singapore GP: AT&T Williams GP De-brief

Sam Michael gives a debrief of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend which saw the team secure another double points finish with a sixth from Rubens Barrichello backed up by what would finally be a tenth place finish from Nico Hulkenberg.

Sam Michael, Technical Director Q&A

Q: What's your reaction to the 20-second penalty given to Nico Hulkenberg following a post race protest by Force India?
SM: The team accepts the decision made by the FIA stewards.

Q: Aside from that, the Singapore Grand Prix was a positive weekend for AT&T Williams.
What's your assessment of the new parts taken to the race?
SM: Singapore showed that we have made good progress with the FW32. Recent results highlight the fact that we've been competitive at a variety of different circuit layouts. That should continue for the remaining races on the calendar.

Q: Nico required a new gearbox on Friday and a new engine just before qualifying. What were the problems with these units?
SM: We had an issue with the differential on Nico's gearbox after Monza. Changing it cost us a five place penalty on the grid for Singapore. We then had a suspected water leak on the engine we were intending to use for Sunday’s race so we also had to change that, but that didn’t demand a penalty. We will check the engine and the cooling system when the parts return to the UK to establish the causes.

Q: Why did Rubens make such a poor start, and how much was his race compromised by the second Safety Car period?
SM: The initial part of Rubens’ start wasn't good so he had to take some risks on the first lap to minimise the damage. Fortunately, the second safety car didn’t affect his race at all.

Q: Going forward, do you think the FW32 can take on Renault and Mercedes at every track?
SM: We should be able to match their competitiveness, yes. That is certainly the aim.

Q: What are your expectations for Suzuka, the next race on the calendar?
SM: As it’s been for the past few races, our objective for Japan is to get both cars into the top ten in qualifying and then for both to score points in the race.

Championship Tables After 15 of 19 Races

Drivers
1 M Webber 	202
2 F Alonso 	191
3 L Hamilton 	182
4 S Vettel 		181
5 J Button 		177
6 F Massa 	128
7 N Rosberg 	122
8 R Kubica 	114
11 R Barrichello 	39
14 N Hulkenberg 	17

Constructors
1 Red Bull Racing 	383
2 McLaren 	359
3 Ferrari 		319
4 Mercedes GP 	168
5 Renault 		133
6 Force India 	60
7 AT&T Williams 	56
8 BMW Sauber 	27
9 Toro Rosso 	10
10 Lotus Racing 	0