Head Critical of Ralf's Qualifying Form

Williams-BMW technical director Patrick Head said on Saturday that German driver Ralf Schumacher is struggling to get to grips with qualifying this season.

Schumacher has been outqualified by teammate Juan Pablo Montoya in all of the four Grands Prix so far this season and is in danger of hitting the same troubles as David Coulthard did last year.

McLaren driver Coulthard continually failed in the single-lap qualifying sessions after over-thinking and over-analysing his performance and Head believes Schumacher is now doing the same.

"I'm sure Ralf is not happy seeing the 4-0 qualifying position between Juan and himself," said Head after Schumacher set the fifth fastest time of the day. "My impression is that Ralf has a difficultly in positioning the level of risk to take in qualifying.

"I think in the first qualifying he felt he was being too aggressive. He then overcompensated and was too much the other way in sector one. You only get one chance to get it right."

Head denied that stalling contract talks with Schumacher, who has scored just seven points this season, are to blame for the German's poor performances. Schumacher's contract with Williams comes to an end this season and his future is unclear after the British team pulled out of talks earlier this year over the driver's wage demands.

Big-budget Toyota are believed to be keen on signing him despite a reported $10 million a-year salary, but Head said: "I'm not in touch with the situation but from Williams' side it is not a distraction."