While most of the attention today will be focussed on the battle for the drivers’ championship, an equally interesting duel between Williams and Red Bull for fourth place in the constructors’ championship will take place.
Williams have 28 points to Red Bull’s 24. But the former have both their drivers starting in the top ten today, while Williams have only Nico Rosberg while Kazuki Nakajima makes his Grand Prix debut from 19th on the grid.
Fourth place in the constructors’ championship might not sound like much when there’s a world title at stake today, but the money earned by finishing that high would be a boost to either team.
Particularly Williams, who recently revealed substantial financial losses in 2006, and have been paying for customer engines since their split with BMW at the end of 2005.
Constructors’ championship finishing position also dictates where the team will be sited on the pit lane and what numbers they will use.
Mark Webber will start fifth and team mate David Coulthard ninth. Rosberg is tenth for Williams with Nakajima nine places further back and surely unlikely to trouble the scorers.
If the teams end up tied on points their best scores counts will be used as a tie breaker. So far Red Bull have one third, one fourth and two fifths, Williams have one third, one fourth and no fifths. Ironically, both Williams’ best finishes were scored by Wurz, who retired from the sport after the previous race.
There is also speculation over the future of Rosberg, who has been linked to a drive at McLaren next year. This could be his last race for Williams.
Photo: GEPA / Bildagentur Kraeling
Related links
Tags: f1 / formula one / formula 1 / grand prix / motor sport
milos
21st October 2007, 12:39
Oh yes, almost forgot about the RedBull vs Williams… Looks pretty good for RedBull now, if their cars last. But still, four points to make up will not be easy… Will be interesting to see how determined Webber will be at the start … With Alonso and Raikkonen right ahead of him, Webber may decide the championship in the first corner :-)
Rohan
21st October 2007, 13:25
“Particularly Williams, who recently revealed substantial financial losses in 2006, and have been paying for customer engines since their split with BMW at the end of 2005.”
Technically, we give Toyota our seamless shift geabox (the best gearbox in the paddock by all accounts) in exchange for their engines, so, in reality, no money actually changes hands.