Analysis: Too Tall a Story for Wurz
Injured Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was not the only McLaren driver cursing his misfortune after being ruled out of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix
Alexander Wurz, the Formula One team's official reserve, has waited four years for a chance to race again and when it came along at last this week the Austrian knew he could not take it.
The lanky 31-year-old has yet to drive the 2005-specification McLaren because he has been too tall to fit into it until now.
Although the team have pulled out all the stops to get one ready for Wurz to drive in Friday practice in Bahrain, Spanish second test driver Pedro de la Rosa will be Montoya's race replacement.
It is a situation that might have some drivers tearing their hair out in frustration but Wurz put on a brave face on Thursday.
He recognised that, with no experience of the car at a circuit he has never before driven, it would have been too risky to select him.
"Not knowing how I will physically sit in the car -- because I didn't fit properly until yesterday almost and they are still getting parts flown out tonight for me -- would have been a mega risk for the team," he said.
"We had a long meeting, almost until midnight," he added.
"I said to the team that if I were the team boss, I would go for the safe option which is currently putting Pedro in because he has far more miles in the car. I have zero.
"I am a human being. Of course I would like to race, no question," added the Austrian. "But there's no reason to go home and cry in the corner. I can go home and slit my wrists or I can just get on and I'm a guy who just looks forward."
Until now, Wurz has been able to test only with last year's car. Now at least he can at least get his hands on the new machinery and hope to replace de la Rosa as a Friday driver later in the season.
"I'm happy that we could make me fit even for this Friday because it was very close," he said. "It was a big, big effort for the team to make everything happen for now.
"We are fighting here for millimetres, which is normal in my career, but it is the layout inside the cockpit which is very compact.
"We are not talking about sitting comfortably. We are talking about being able to perform," added the Austrian.
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Author | Alan Baldwin |
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Why Russell was right to be wrong about Bottas after Imola F1 clash
George Russell and Valtteri Bottas' collision at Imola on Sunday prompted fury in the Formula 1 paddock. But Russell's carefully-worded heartfelt statement later, acknowledging that his initial response was wrong, proved the right move
How Verstappen and Hamilton’s Imola clash sets the tone for F1’s 2021 title fight
In Max Verstappen's Formula 1 career to date, he has been cast as the 'pretender', an acknowledged top-line performer without the car to regularly challenge Lewis Hamilton. But that no longer applies in 2021, and the start to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the most telling signal yet of what we can expect from their duel this year
How “overwhelming” McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
Daniel Ricciardo has found a new lease of life at McLaren – a move that’s been years in the making, as he explains to STUART CODLING…
The German legend who raced and beat Nuvolari
Ninety years ago, Rudolf Caracciola became the first non-Italian to win the epic Mille Miglia. We look at how he stacks up to the most famous pre-war ace Tazio Nuvolari, one of the drivers he beat on that day in 1931
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
