Patrick Head Q&A

"We used the traction control just at the start, and from then on it was switched off. It's not a question of problems - basically in its current form it gives the engine quite a hard time, and some of the other hardware. Whereas two weeks ago there was confidence that there wouldn't be a problem, at the Silverstone test last week we had a couple of problems and then we had to debate what was the best position. We probably could have been more competitive had we used it, but we just felt that we had a higher confidence of finishing."



"It's one of those things. Up to the point that suddenly the problem arose, there was every confidence that it was OK. And even then I don't think BMW were absolutely certain that the problems that occurred at Silverstone were due to the traction control, but when you're uncertain in this business, and you haven't got enough data, sometimes you have to go for the conservative option."



"The actual request for the traction control and how much it is is a Williams matter, because that's to do with the chassis. We give a request to BMW to cut the power of the engine by a certain amount. BMW then have to do it, subject to whatever problems that causes the engine, so they have to deal with that side of it."



"We would have been quicker with it, but we decided it would be better here not to do so. It was fundamentally a BMW decision that it would be better not to do so.



"No I wouldn't say so. I think we didn't really have the car very well set-up. We managed to get it reasonably well set-up by qualifying, but we just lost momentum and lost time by not being very well set earlier."



"Certainly if you're in the wet at Monaco! Austria will be one as well, particularly if it's wet."



"I think the brake balance just initiated a slide at the rear, and off he went."