Ralf Clarifies Remarks on Williams Future

Ralf Schumacher has distanced himself from reports suggesting that he had threatened to leave Williams at the end of the Formula One season in a row over money.

The German, who has been increasingly linked with Toyota, said on Monday that comments he made in a Sunday newspaper interview were not to be seen as a threat.

"All I wanted to do was to give an idea of what was going on and to counter press reports that implied that I was only interested in money," he said.

"All of that has absolutely nothing to do with what we are working for at the moment. Everyone's focus is only on the start of the season and the first race in which we want to achieve maximum success. Everything else will just work itself out, I'm sure."

Ralf, younger brother of Ferrari's six-times World Champion Michael Schumacher, has been at BMW-powered Williams since 1999 and is a contender for the title along with Colombian teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who is leaving for McLaren at the end of the year when Ralf's contract also expires.

The German has been negotiating with Williams for an extension but team boss Frank Williams said recently that he was 'playing hardball' in the talks, with money the principal sticking point.

Ralf, who denies money is the problem, told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper that he was disappointed with Williams and suggested that they might have to look for two new drivers.

Real Problem

"I think that Williams are now under a big deal of pressure in the negotiations," he said. "If they lose their second driver for 2005 after Montoya, they have a real problem. Frank Williams is portraying me as greedy but I can only laugh about that.

"He knows that I would be ready to give up nearly half of my current wages. That's what's in the contract that has been ready to be signed for a long time," added Ralf in the newspaper.

"I wanted to sign. We had set up an appointment for the season's last race in Japan but Frank did not come and he suddenly took back the offer. That is the truth, and it's not okay. I am disappointed with him (Williams) as a person. You don't say something if you can't keep your word."

Williams have a history of replacing drivers who make wage demands that they deem to be excessive, regardless of how successful he may be.

British world champions Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill both left the team after winning the title as did Brazilian Nelson Piquet in 1987.

"I think Frank's always been very firm about limits beyond which he will not go," technical director Patrick Head said recently. "It's partly because of that that we are still here as opposed to being a statistic in the history of Formula One."

Williams have won nine constructors titles and seven drivers' crowns since 1980. Their last was with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.