Full Throttle

SEPANG, Malaysia, March 20 (Reuters) - Frank Williams has had words with Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya to reduce the risk of his drivers running each other off the track in Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

“I think Frank has had a quiet and measured word with both drivers,” said technical director Patrick Head. “I hope we don’t see sparks tomorrow between our two guys,” he added.

Head said Williams, who famously had to deal with feuding team mates Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet in the 1980s, had reminded both to focus their “competitive spirit on the enemy without rather than the enemy within”.

The team boss told a news conference on Friday that, while his drivers were allowed to race hard and bang wheels if necessary, pushing each other off would not be tolerated.

“Our policy has always been to have the two fastest drivers we can in the car,” Head said after qualifying on Saturday.

“When we have had a situation where one driver has been a lot quicker than the other, it’s always been that they have been remarkably pally and friendly,” added Head.

“Whenever they have been on the same 10th of a second there have usually been some hisses and claws coming out. I don’t think it’s particularly unusual.

“We don’t have anything in the contract that says, if you bump into your team mate, we will fine you X hundred thousand dollars or anything like that.

“Obviously they have things in their contracts that say they have to behave and drive to the credit of the team and themselves. But ultimately at this stage it’s just a quiet word.”

Source: Reuters