19/04/2007
NEWS STORY
With many surprised that Toyota opted to retain its line-up this season, keeping two drivers who appear to perform only when it suits them, and rarely at the same time, it is natural that there would be criticism.
After three races, having scored one point (to Jarno Trulli's four), and having been out-qualified by the Italian at all three events, it is Ralf Schumacher who, having admitted that at Sakhir he made his life hard, is receiving the most flack.
However, he fails to be intimidated by the criticism, and claims he will answer back on track.
"I can live with criticism," he writes on his website, "but I'm not interested in irrelevant comments. There is no way that is going to make me nervous.
"I will answer on the track as soon as the car is competitive again," he continues. "The best way to answer unjustified criticism is with good results. The season is still long, we have only completed three out of seventeen races and there will still be plenty of surprises.
"Our car is still not where it should be," he adds. "The car's understeer is a real problem, which is really making life difficult for me and my team mate . However, I hope we will be able to use the next weeks - and especially the test in Barcelona - to solve the problem and improve our performance."
Referring to comments that he might need to adapt his driving style, Ralf didn't pull any punches: "Some people just don't know enough about racing. No driver changes his style from one day to the next. It's about improving the car's set-up and reacting to the driver's needs.
"I believe that - just like last year - we will continue to improve throughout the course of the season," he concludes.
Meanwhile, his manager, Hans Mahr, had his own thoughts on the critics.
"If so-called experts who weren't even at the track assess the situation from a distance, they just lose credibility," he said.
With Trulli under contract for 2008, and Schumacher's contract coming to an end, it is widely thought that the Japanese team is looking for a replacement for the man understood to be on of the highest paid on the F1 grid.
Nick Heidfeld has been liked with the Cologne based outfit, though both he and Toyota deny that there has been any discussion.