Berger Supports Ferrari Decision to Use Old Car

BMW Motorsport boss Gerhard Berger has supported Ferrari's decision to compete with their old car at the Australian Grand Prix, the first race of the 2002 season.

The Italian squad, World Champions last year, decided to use the F2001 chassis in Melbourne in order to have better reliability than with the new F2002, which has not been tested as much as Ferrari would have liked due to the testing ban that stopped the teams from working on track until January.

Berger, whose BMW company will supply engines to the Williams team for the third year in a row, thinks Ferrari have made the right decision.

"If you have the advantage Ferrari had last year, then it is not a bad idea starting with the old car," Berger told Gazzetta dello Sport. "In the first three races what counts isn't to be one second faster than anyone else, it is to get to the finish of the race."

The BMW-powered Williams team were third in last year's Constructors' Championship after scoring four victories and many believe the Grove-based squad are ready to fight for the title in 2002.

But Berger has played down their chances and said that their aim is to go one better and finish in second place.

"Last year we won four GPs and finished third in the Championship," he added. "Our objective next season will be to get second place or, if you prefer, to beat at least one of the other teams, Ferrari or McLaren.

"The new BMW engine goes really well; it was ready before the Japanese GP, and since then we have already tested it for 20,000 kms. That is a lot more than what we achieved in the same period last year."

Berger, echoing the words of Williams bosses Frank Williams and Patrick Head, was also confident than their drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher will be able to work together towards success despite not being the best of friends.

"Our drivers are great; they aren't big friends, but they work well together," Berger said. "Juan Pablo has lots of talent, and he is exceptional in the race. Maybe he's not as analytical as Ralf, maybe he's more emotional, but I'm really curious to see if he'll be able to start the new season the way he ended last.

"For sure in the tests he's been damned fast."