22/06/2008
NEWS STORY
Frank Williams has admitted that his team was wrong in not protesting the ten-place grid penalty imposed on Nico Rosberg following the German's involvement in the pitlane incident during the Canadian GP.
Williams has revealed that he subsequently spoke to Max Mosley - which is more than Bernie Ecclestone has - telling the FIA President that he felt the punishment overly harsh. Williams claims that Mosley agreed.
"I called Max and I took him through it and he agreed," Williams told reporters at Magny-Cours. "Sure he hit another car, but that was a secondary collision. If you guys have an accident on the motorway and hit someone up the backside, you're in trouble with the police and they'll prosecute as normal. But if you arrive into somebody else's accident a second later, its not your fault.
"He took a penalty in losing a potential fourth place but we made the mistake of not protesting the stewards' decision," declared the Englishman.
Williams subsequently admitted that such was the rush to pack up the team's equipment and head to the airport for the flight back to Britain, the team failed to meet the deadline when it came to appealing the stewards' decision.
"It just wasn't thought about until too late," said Williams. "In the garages, the second all the cars are back in from parc ferme there is total chaos with the air freight and stuff and having to be at the airport."
Referring to Rosberg, who qualified fifteenth yesterday, but will start from the back of the grid, Williams said: "He's a very intelligent, hard-minded young man. He's a very straight-up character who always tells you how it is and is I think brilliantly talented."