Untitled Document

February 28th, 2002

FIA THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE

Question : Michael has got last year's car. What do you think is going to be the program over the next three races, do you think you are going to have next year's car or this year's car, rather?

M.Schumacher : Honestly, depends really how much work we are going to be able to do between now and Malaysia. We have one week of testing available, we are going to use this obviously to the maximum and then it depends what kind of job we can achieve.

Question : What was the problem basically not using the new car?

M.Schumacher : Basically it's time; we haven't had enough experience, we haven't done a long run with it because there were a lot of weather issues initially which stopped us and a few mechanical issues which stopped us from running and we never really got onto the situation and then there was a point of decision we had to take where to concentrate on, and this decision was as well earlier than the last day of testing so we then decided to concentrate on the old car.

Question : Does it upset you not being able to use the new car?

M.Schumacher :To some degree yes. I mean, to some degree you are not so delighted but what can you do? That's the situation and the situation has obviously been provoked to some degree because we knew we have a backup solution so we pushed very hard, everything to the limit, which might pay out later; it didn't pay out initially. How much we suffer from that, that's going to be the question mark which nobody knows.

Question : Is there a big difference between the two cars?

M.Schumacher : Oh, yes, I would say. It looks quite different, I would say.

Question : Feel, I think.

M.Schumacher :You cannot tell, honestly. When I tested initially the car, there was quite a lot of bits still missing which had to be put onto the car. We never made a proper back-to-back old to new car. Last ..... Suzuka or what it will be first race and the new car, we never did that yet.

Question : You've got pretty much an exclusive, not quite an exclusive, deal with Bridgestone but how important is that going to be for their number one team? You have got teams of people in one another's factories, do you think that is going to make a big difference?

M.Schumacher : Yes and no. I mean, any decision will have the positive and the negative side, honestly. In the past there was two top teams driving the tyre, pushing the company, and now it's probably one team itself which it means that maybe the concentration can go more towards one team than it has been before. But then you suffer from the other factor I just mentioned. Saying that, we have Sauber which is quite strong now too, so we really have to find out. You can only tell after.

Question : Michael, compared to your first years with Ferrari would you say as a pilot that there is more pressure because the team is performing and the car is excellent?

M.Schumacher : No. You have to imagine all the times we have had where every year we kind of wanted to promise the title to our tifosi and we weren't able to deliver, these were years of pressure. Now it's a lot more calm.

Question : Michael, on the whole, what are your expectations from last year's car for this weekend's race?

M.Schumacher : That's what I'm very much curious to find out myself. I have no idea; we are going to be upfront somewhere but who is going to be in what position between the three teams sitting up here, I'm really looking forward to finding out.

Question : You say the three teams; is that the way you see it? Is this going to be the three teams?

M.Schumacher : I mean, sport is never predictable 100 per cent but from winter testing that's the sort of idea you should have. There is a question mark on probably Sauber, which seemed to be very well in its performance. There have been here and there some other interesting times from Renault in Barcelona, but that's why it is so interesting to come here in the first race and see what is actually the real story because you never know weather conditions, fuel capacity and all this kind of things, they don't give you the 100 per cent answer.

Question :What do you feel about the one engine rule suggested in general?

D.Coulthard :I think it's a suggestion, it was in last week one of the mags, so I haven't really been made aware of all the things that are being suggested so a bit reluctant to really give an opinion without knowing all the facts.

M.Schumacher : I'm not 100 per cent into the picture but the basic idea is to save costs and I believe there will be no rule which if you have a problem that you don't have a backup situation, at least for whatever many times a year because it's no point if in the beginning maybe they all blow up on Saturday and we have no cars racing on Sunday so I don't think anybody is doing a rule like this, that's not the intention; it will be a clever rule worked out in the end.

Question : The idea would be that if you had an engine breakage on the Saturday, you could have obviously a spare engine but you might lose 10 places, 12 places on the grid?

M.Schumacher : You see, this is all details we don't know. I don't think it's fixed anyway; it's a matter of discussion at the moment so there is no point to get into detail right now until all the team owners which in the end have to do the decision to see what is final and then we can go through all these kind of points.

Question : Michael, a horrible hypothetical for you: You're a betting man and you have $50 left to your name, who would you put it on this week-end?

M.Schumacher : Put it in my pocket.

Question : I have a question for the drivers. Have you been reading your contract after sacking Jos Verstappen? Or any comments?

D.Coulthard : I'm sorry for Jos Verstappen. It can't be a nice situation to think you have a contract and you're geared up for the year ahead and then it changes. I think in all these things, there has got to be reasons behind it and only the people that are involved have all of the facts so really rather than just adding opinions without knowing everything it is better not to say anything.

M.Schumacher : I don't have a contract with Tom.

D.Coulthard : Are you sure?

M.Schumacher : I haven't read mine and pretty happy with what I've got at the moment.

Question : Could I ask the drivers, the three of you, which of you is the best driver in Formula 1?

M.Schumacher : Which is the best journalist?

Question : Any safety issues, anything you are worried about?

M.Schumacher : We always feel - and that belongs to every circuit - that there is room for improvements. We have seen the improvements has been done in terms of the fencing for marshal safety, passive safety for the people. I have seen doubling the fence down the pit, the start and finish line straight, so there has been done quite an effort to improve safety. We live in a world where total safety doesn't exist , whatever sport , whatever event, wherever you go, total safety doesn't exist, but from the GPDA side we always find issues where we can improve safety, and I'm sure after this race we are going to come up with some solutions again to ask the circuit to do something.

February 22nd, 2002

SCHEDULE OF FIA PRESS CONFERENCES - AUSTRALIAN GP

Thursday February 28th, 2002 ( 15.00)
David Coulthard	McLAREN
Juan Pablo Montoya	WILLIAMS
Michael Schumacher	FERRARI
Ove Andersson	TOYOTA
David Richards	BAR
Friday March 1st, 2002 ( 15.00)
Allan McNish	TOYOTA
Mika Salo	TOYOTA
Mark Webber	MINARDI
Paul Stoddart	MINARDI
Jean Todt	FERRARI
Frank Williams	WILLIAMS

February 22nd, 2002

AUSTRALIAN GP

Friday March 1st, 2002
Free Practice 1 . 1	:	11.00 - 12.00	GMT+11
Free Practice 1 . 2	:	13.00 - 14.00	GMT+11
Saturday March 2nd, 2002
Free Practice 2 . 1	:	09.00 - 09.45	GMT+11
Free Practice 2 . 2	:	10.15 - 11.00	GMT+11
Qualifying Session	:	13.00 - 14.00	GMT+11
Sunday March 3rd, 2002
Warm-up	:	09.30 - 10.00	GMT+11
RACE	:	14.00 - 16.00	GMT+11

(Timetable in local time)

London time	:	GMT
Local time	:	GMT+11

Weather
Friday March 1st	Saturday March 2nd	Sunday March 3rd

Mostly Cloudy	Cloudy	Cloudy
18°C - 12°C	20°C - 13°C	19°C - 13°C

February 19th, 2002

Imola Test

Schumacher worked on tyres and set-up in an F2001.

Imola, Italy

Feb. 19th 1:23.459 85 laps

Feb. 18th 1:30.097 26 laps

February 18th, 2002

Schumacher happy to use the F2001 in Australia

Michael Schumacher is confident that the F2001 can prove competitive in Australia and his confidence is backed up by the cars strong showing in recent test sessions up against our rivals newer cars.

He said "I think it is a reasonable decision. The team can be very relaxed because last year's car is very good and very strong. The 2001 car has been competitive in testing so there is no reason to take any silly and unnecessary risks."

The most important thing in the first race is to finish, because points from the beginning of the season can be decisive when it comes to the end."

February 16th, 2002

Ferrari will take three F2001 cars to the Australian GP

The team's sporting director Jean Todt said "The new car has proved to be very quick right from the start, but we do not have sufficient time at our disposal to be entirely sure about its total reliability for the first round of the season,"

"Therefore, we have decided to go to Melbourne with the F2001, which even in this winter's tests, has proved to be very competitive and reliable. We think it will be able to bring home valuable points for the championship. Next week, we will continue our on - track development of the F2002, as well as fine tuning the F2001 for the first race."

February 16th, 2002

Mugello Test

Michael said "We have continued with development on the F2002, concentrating on set-up, so as to be ready as soon as possible with the new car. Certainly the feeling I got from it today was positive,"

"It's the first time we have been able to work continuously with the F2002 at this circuit. In the afternoon, conditions were a bit difficult because of the wind. All in all, I am happy with the day's work."

Mugello, Italy

Feb. 16th 1:22.551 50 laps

Feb. 15th No Time 12 laps

Feb. 14th 1:23.650 36 laps

February 13th, 2002

Fiorano Test

Michael Schumacher continued development work on the F2002.

Fiorano, Italy

Feb. 13th 59.253 25 laps

Feb. 12th 58.378 43 laps

Feb. 11th 58.669 46 laps

Feb. 10th 58.620 67 laps

February 8th, 2002

Mugello Test

Michael Schumacher and test driver Luca Badoer were on track today with the old chassis and continued with the tyre and electronics development schedule.

Schumacher covered a total of 104 laps, 79 of which with chassis 208 and 25 with chassis 211.

Mugello, Italy

Feb. 8th 1:22.845 104 laps

Feb. 7th 1:23.517 60 laps

February 6th, 2002

Michael Schumacher impressed by new car

Michael Schumacher gave the following press conference at the ceremony in Maranello.

Question: If you win this year, as you have said you aim to do, it will be your fifth title and will equal Juan Manuel Fangio's record. How do you feel? You have always said records are not that important, does it mean anything to you at all?

M.Schumacher: Yes, certainly it does. I do not motivate myself to achieve that number five, but it still means a lot. I want to win and all the effort we put in, and all the improvements we make if at the end of it we can get number five that is great. Obviously it means a lot, but I don't really live on that.

Question: Who is going to be you key rivals?

M.Schumacher: I should mention five drivers: Rubens , Ralf, Juan Pablo , Coulthard and Raikkonen. It is going to be a very close season, and obviously I would expect Williams and McLaren to be strong. Which one of these teams will be strongest I don't know, but these two teams are going to be the strong ones.

Question: What do you think of the new car?

M.Schumacher: I saw it last night when I arrived (at 01.00 CET) and when I saw it I was amazed. It is so beautiful. It is very innovative and I can never believe how low the car can go, and how it can be packaged. I just hope it will drive as fast as it looks, but it is very beautiful.

Question: Has the magic of driving for Ferrari changed at all?

M.Schumacher: How do you want me to describe it, I really don't know you have to put words in my mouth! There is no other team like Ferrari. To win with Ferrari is just extraordinary, and it is not only that it is the human relationships that we have since I joined here in 1996. I have never experienced that before, and never believed it was possible, I have made so many friends from this partnership.

Question: What do you think about the new two - way telemetry system?

M.Schumacher: That is far less important than what people say, and in the past they can send me signals to change something in the cockpit, so I don't think this would have a deep impact on how the championship goes.

Question: Are you worried about the radical changes on the car?

M.Schumacher: Not really, because if we have a problem we still have a fast old car. I can jump in the car and if everything is technically alright with the new car then it is not a problem.

Question: Are you still motivated enough to fight for wins?

M.Schumacher: It is just the pure joy of racing, of driving fast. I have spoken so many times about it, it is just the same. I don't look at records to enjoy it, I just enjoy driving and if the good results come then great! But that doesn't push me to drive fast. Obviously I don't know how long this feeling will last, but let's see how long it does.

Question: Will Montoya be your strongest rival do you think?

M.Schumacher: There will be lots of close fighting, and definitely Montoya will be one of them, but I am not really looking forward to fighting with him and I think it is much less than what the press write. But there will be lots of close fights - for example in the past I good fights with Jean Alesi, and very good fights with Damon Hill and also Mika. I think these have been really impressive battles.

Question: Are you taking the same approach to keeping number 1 as you took last year?

M.Schumacher: No different. I have a completely equal approach for this year.

Question: Any particular preparations for 2002?

M.Schumacher: Slightly different as I had a longer break. I managed three weeks in Mauritius and I played football, and did things on the beach. It was really different. Then I went back to Norway and I had a new physiotherapist, so I had to learn the new techniques. Basically, the preparations were very similar to what I have been doing.

Question: Doesn't each year get tougher?

M.Schumacher: I suppose so, but maybe I haven't become old yet!

Question: Didn't the long break do you any good?

M.Schumacher: I didn't miss driving in December, but at the start of January I really became nervous and I was really looking forward to driving again. But you have to keep a certain distance from racing to re - charge yourself. The season is very long and hard, you just use energy so much that you need time to be away and re-charge yourself.

Question: When do you test the car?

M.Schumacher: On Saturday at Fiorano, I will test the car for the first time.

February 6th, 2002

Ferrari launch all new F2002

The F2002 is the forty eighth Ferrari single-seater conceived specifically to contest the Formula 1 World Championship.
The design philosophy follows that of the F2001. Ferrari have optimised the aerodynamic efficiency, lowered the centre of gravity and created the optimum conditions to maximise the performance of the 051 engine and the Bridgestone tyres.
Despite the continuity of the regulations and apparent aesthetic similarities, all aspects of the car have been completely redesigned to achieve improvements in performance.

The chassis is new, both in terms of its design and construction, resulting in a weight reduction and greater structural integrity. The sides pods, radiators, exhausts and the rear of the car are also completely new, achieving an improvement in the cooling and aerodynamic performance.

There have been some minor changes to the technical regulations, resulting in the power - steering being operated mechanically rather than electronically. Both front and rear suspension groups have been revised not only optimising the performance and consistency of the Bridgestone tyres but with particularly attention on optimising the aerodynamic package.

On the mechanical side, the 051 engine, like its predecessor is load bearing and mounted longitudinally, as is the transmission. The latter is completely new and novel, especially in the usage of materials and the method of gear selection. The gearbox, cast in titanium, has seven sequential gears, hydraulically operated. The materials used in transmission and engine have been specially developed to reduce weight and bulk. The exhausts remain high level, a Ferrari trend now followed by the rest of Formula One.