Ralf’s future unaffected by Head move

RALF SCHUMACHER has claimed that this week’s restructuring at Williams-BMW has not had an effect on his uncertain future with the team.

Schumacher joined Williams in 1999 but his contract concludes at the end of the season and negotiations over a new deal broke down earlier this year after he struggled to see eye-to-eye with the team’s top management.

His position may have be improved last Tuesday after his friend and former race engineer Sam Michael was promoted to technical director when Patrick Head, who previously held the role, became the team’s director of engineering.

But Schumacher said: “I’m not sure yet whether it has anything to do with my situation. That will take a while. I’m simply waiting to decide what I’m going to do. That’s all I can say at the moment.

“Nothing is decided yet. We are still talking, certainly still waiting for what is happening in our team and then I will see what the outcome is. I just want to be in the best position possible.”

Schumacher has collected just 12 points compared to his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya’s 23 this season and his performances have gone downhill since his fourth-place finish in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Head suggested earlier this month that Schumacher’s lack of pace this season could be down to the mental effects of a heavy crash in testing at Monza last year that caused him to suffer concussion and miss the Italian Grand Prix. The comments did little to improve relations between the two.

Former chief operations engineer Michael, 33, will now take over the reins during race weekends with Head spending more time at the factory working on the long-term planning.