Ralf takes win for Williams

13 April 2012

Sir Frank Williams hailed Ralf Schumacher's third Grand Prix win of the season, after an action-packed race at Hockenheim.

Schumacher won the German Grand Prix from last year's winner Rubens Barrichello and Jacques Villeneuve to move up to third in the drivers' championship standings.

And Williams, whose team now trail second-placed McLaren by just 10 points in the constructors' championship, said: "Ralf drove a very sensible race. It was a good performance by the whole team.

"In the weekend qualifying and warm-up we thought we'd ease away from the rest of the field - but we didn't imagine we'd go that quickly."

Schumacher himself said: "I've always had a bit of bad luck here in the past so to win here is a great feeling."Villeneuve said: "To get on the podium is great. We knew we had a chance to have a good race."

The Canadian revealed he was surprised the race was restarted after Luciano Burti's Prost ploughed into the back of a slow-moving Michael Schumacher.

Villeneuve said: "I didn't see what happened - but I was surprised when there was a red flag because we had gone through the debris once.

"But the most dangerous part of the race is always the start."

Jenson Button was overjoyed after scoring his first world championship points of the season, bringing his Benetton home in fifth, behind team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.

He told ITV: "We've been looking quite good all weekend and the consistency and the reliability of the car has helped us."Finishing third and fourth has been good for the team - we really needed it.

"It's been difficult, there's been problems and in myself I have had to learn things from the car.

"It's been good to get this result for the mechanics and the people who work so hard behind the scenes.

"We were running with the BARs and the Jordans, cars we would not expect us to be running with - it's a much better feeling when you are able to race with cars like that.

"I've learnt a lot this year, it's been a tough year for me but it's getting better. Hopefully the rest of the season will be the same.

Button again dismissed rumours linking him with a move away from the Benetton squad."I'll be at Benetton next year, that's what my contract says and that's where I want to be at the moment."

Benetton technical director Mike Gascoyne revealed: "He (Button) said we'd score points and I didn't think we would but it's a good performance.

"You make your own luck in the end it's a team result. I'm pleased for Renault - they've had some criticism over the engines and its a power circuit.

"Okay we needed two cars to drop out - but we've come home fourth and fifth."

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