| Question : Michael,
as we said with Rubens, trying to go for a fast
lap very early on, you were interrupted
by a yellow flag. How much did that upset you? |
| M.Schumacher :
: It did cost me time, but actually the yellow flag
didn't bother me so much
compared to the red flag which came straight
after; it cost me the lap time. I don't
know what lap time I would have done at this stage
because I had to back off significantly for the
yellow flag. Anyway, we're both up
front, that's where we wished to be and we are, and
we're obviously quite happy
with that and look forward to
whatever happens tomorrow. |
| Question :
Now, every team has arrived here with their new
car for 2002 but the team with the two drivers
on the front row, your team Ferrari,
has brought last year's car. Is that the reason why
you two are on the front row here today? |
| M.Schumacher :
Has to be. |
| Question : Michael,
a sort of family front row for you and with
Ralf just behind you, you don't seem to
be too unhappy being second? |
| M.Schumacher :
No, because if you take the
circumstance it's ideal: we have both cars in
the front row. We have had all week
and a very good weekend,
we have prepared ourselves
for race conditions and everything
looks very reasonable. Bridgestone
has done a very superb job with their
tyres and all in all there is
no reason to be unhappy. We are five
thousandths apart, we are both
in the front row, it's going to be an entertaining race
tomorrow then. |
| Question : But
you have been so quick over the last couple of days,
you really have been very, very quick indeed. What can
you put that down to? |
| M.Schumacher :
I think the fact is we have
seen that very often in the past that Australia, for
whatever reason, seems to suit one team in particular.
I remember we have been here with Ferrari against the
Williams and they were one
point whatever seconds ahead, and then
it was McLaren being so many times ahead,
and then you come to the next races and suddenly the
gap shrinks dramatically so it seems something
with that circuit, whatever is the reason for
it I don't know, so I wouldn't be surprised if all this
can change very quickly and it does suit
us 100 per cent - that's the reason, but why the others
may suffer, no idea. |
| Question : Do
you feel you have done enough
laps in both types of condition? Are
you well prepared for tomorrow, whatever
the conditions? |
| M.Schumacher :
We know the
car very well so
that's obviously an advantage to us, to
know what we have to do in what kind of circumstance,
and we're pretty well prepared, yes, although
we maybe lost a couple of laps
which ideally we would have wanted to do but then
it was most likely the same for everyone.
|
| Question : Michael,
on your fastest lap you
seemed to lose a bit of time
in sector one. Can you tell us what happened
there? |
| M.Schumacher :
I lost, for whatever reason, some traction on the grass;
didn't seem to accelerate as much as normal. |
| Question : Actually,
that's a further question to
that: you picked up so much time in the third sector,
you were virtually four tenths down at the second sector
and then picked up to be four tenths ahead in
the third sector, that's this morning. |
| M.Schumacher :
It has been all weekend,
honestly, third sector seems to be my sector.
Maybe we could forget the
rest. |
| Question : But
you just seemed well suited to it,
the car is well suited to it, that's all it is? |
| M.Schumacher :
Yes. |
| Question : Particularly
if it is a wet race and
conditions could be a bit hazardous,
is there any thought of you two having a
private deal of whoever gets into
the first corner first? |
| M.Schumacher :
Let's talk about this. |
| R. Barrichello : We
can talk later. |
| Question : It's
a possibility that you will discuss something
between yourselves? |
| R. Barrichello :
We are having dinner tonight. Maybe. |
| M.Schumacher :
We always discuss. |
| Question : Michael,
if it's wet here, from what you've
seen can we expect an unusually incident
packed race? Any wet race is going to have incidents
but is the track - Rubens said it's like Monaco
so can we expect even more carnage? |
| M.Schumacher :It
has some similarities to Monaco, especially because
of the stripes, the lines
we have on the road, but otherwise it is
a very well built circuit
in a town and I wouldn't say that
you see particularly more accidents, there is no
reason for it. It really depends how hot
the guys are going to be tomorrow
after the start, because that is going to be
a factor. If it is wet and everybody is just a
little bit clever enough and knows that
you don't win the race in the first corner,
then I think it's going
to be all right but it really depends on the temper,
how much they keep it under control.
|
