Williams were just clumsy, not cheating

FRANK Williams is adamant his team did not cheat in Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, but has conceded they were “very clumsy”.

After finishing second and fifth at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya were disqualified as their BMW Williams cars were deemed to have illegal air ducts to the front brakes of their cars.

Technical director Sam Michael made a plea of mitigation that there was no performance gain, but the race stewards adhered to the regulations and declared the results of the Williams’ duo void.

The Toyotas of Cristiano da Matta and Olivier Panis, who had finished eighth and 10th, were also disqualified for the same infringement, but it was Williams who paid the heavier price.

An internal investigation is certain to have been conducted by team principal Williams, who accepts the buck stops with him, and now the onus is on all within the organisation to make amends at this weekend’s US Grand Prix in Indianapolis.

“Last weekend worked out well, other than the error we made,” revealed Williams.

“You could say the responsibility ends with me at the end of the day, but we’re a large organisation and a chain of events occurred which I am not willing to dissect.”