| |
|
Question :
You were
lapping so fast in that race that
we began to wonder if you were on a two
- stop strategy. You never backed
off in that race.
|
| M.Schumacher
:
No, we couldn't because
the strategy was obviously after we knew
Montoya was on a two stop, very tight, so
I had to push until
he made his second pit stop and I
had to know that he was
really behind me and only then
did I consolidate my pace to keep
the gap very consistent.
|
| Question :
It was a
very strong race, but how good were your tyres
today and you also talked about
having a very strong engine for Montreal?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Yeah. We
had a very strong package all
in all. On the other hand, it
was obvious that we had some blisters on our rear
left tyre in particular, which for
sure cost us a bit of performance but
then obviously it was still good enough
to win the race. In normal circumstances,
we would probably be in first and
second, but that's the way it goes and we're pretty
happy with the result so far
and obviously with the package we've had here.
|
| Question :
Michael, today
was Ferrari's 150th win, your sixth of the
year. The next race is the first of two
on your home ground; what are your hopes?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Our expectations
are obviously very high with the package
we have. I would like
to express a big compliment to our
testing team because all the year,
they stay in the shadows and they work very hard
and we never have the opportunity to really
thank in the proper way and
I'm really happy we have such guys
behind us who work so well. I was having some
vacation, using the opportunity with them and they simply
do a fantastic job with both our testing drivers, Badoer
and Burti and all the test engineers, so a big compliment
to them and we obviously look forward to having a good
test next week and come prepared to Nurburgring.
|
| Question :
Michael, 150th Grand Prix
win for Ferrari, your fifth here in Montreal, it's quite
a day really.
|
| M.Schumacher
: Yeah, yeah. You can obviously
call it a very good day in all
respects, in every way you look at it, very fortunate.
|
| Question :
At the start, did you expect
Rubens to come past you quite the way he did?
|
| M.Schumacher
: No, honestly no. I was
hoping I would jump into the lead
but then it was pretty clear after
the initial take - off that I was on the dirtier
side and couldn't get the grip and then on the
other hand, the two other guys were on lighter fuel
and it seemed to help them for the later
part of the acceleration. I knew that
Rubens was on a two stop so I didn't want to make his
life difficult and I let him go.
|
| Question : Were you happy running
in third place after that?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Yeah, with
the pace I was doing, with the gap we had it was sort
being on schedule, I would say. The safety
car worked out even more in my favour. |
|
Question :
Did
you think there would be a safety car period because
a lot of teams did?
|
| M.Schumacher
:
Yeah, no, you
have to think about it here, yes, it is pretty
common that it does happen. For this sort
of reason, it was a bit difficult to understand
why they had to bring out a trolley or whatever
to remove the car. Obviously we don't know all
the details.
|
| Question :
Would you say
the Michelins and Bridgestones were pretty much on a
par this weekend?
|
| M.Schumacher
: I would
probably have to study the data a little
bit closer. From what I have
seen, with different strategy I don't know what
was the gaps and whether they were within
being equal or not. We
certainly had a very good tyre and we had nothing
to complain about, but on the other
hand, from what we have
seen in Monte Carlo, in the race
we were quite a bit stronger here, that
wasn't so obvious.
|
| Question :
A lot of mention
has been made of the engine; was it an improved development
here?
|
| M.Schumacher
: We always develop
the engine. It was nothing specifically
different from my point of view, from the last race,
at least. But it was doing very well. The reason we
put this emphasis was because our straightline speed
this weekend was fantastically good and
that is because of the engine and the aerodynamics and
that's why some emphasis has been put on
that, and some compliments have been made, but
it hasn't been a
different specification of engine
compared to the last race. |
| Question :
In the last
13 laps, your lead went down from 21s to one second.
|
| M.Schumacher
: It's the usual
story, there was nothing
wrong, it was just driving
it safely home. One tenth
is enough to win the race, that's all we needed.
|
| Question :
Generally speaking,
though, no problems during the race? |
| M.Schumacher
: No. Here it's
tough for brakes so if you have the opportunity,
you save them as much as you can, and that was
it.
|
| Question :
You got
a 43 - point lead with nine races to go. You could win
your first world title as early as the month of July
this year. How do you feel about it?
|
| M.Schumacher
: It is no point in thinking
about it. We know we have a comfortable lead, we
know we have the points we have right now but there
is no point in thinking when we can win it, but
just make sure we do win it. |
|
Question :
Michael.
Do you think that it is normal that almost all drivers
did not respect the chicane as we saw today?
|
| M.Schumacher
:
It is pretty
normal if you have a problem, yes. If you
cannot make it then you go straight on and then
you slow down to make sure you don't
get an advantage. If somebody takes and
advantage and overtakes somebody or is not overtaken
because of this then you have to pull back. I think
it is better that they have a wall there.
|
| Question :
Michael. Would you at least
agree that from this position now it is
going to be really, really difficult to lose the Championship?
|
| M.Schumacher
: I haven't
disagreed before. I know that winning
this race and having the points makes me
obviously quite a step closer to it, but as you said
before nine races to go, ninety points to
give away and only 43 points advance. So,
admittedly it is very good, but it is still not done.
|
| Question :
What are you worried about?
What could happen, really?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Let me think
if I can give you
a good example so you can
understand it. In the
end you do understand what
I mean. It is not being
pessimistic, it is realistic that it
is not over and until it is over it is not. We
have to wait for that.
|
| Question :
Michael. Do
you ever find yourself after this race being
too comfortable with your lead and taking fewer
risks? How do you think this race will affect
your strategy for future races?
|
| M.Schumacher
: You always look at that
situation. In Monte Carlo there wasn't that opportunity
so you back off. If I have an opportunity
I will go for it. I mean, I am racing
for the pleasure of racing, for the pleasure of
fighting, and I will use my opportunities.
|
| Question :
So you will
keep taking risks even though you are comfortable?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Yeah. I said
in 2000 that from now on I just race for the pleasure.
I mean whether I am going to win so many races
or not, or a championship that is not
really the drive of motivation for
me, it's the pleasure of the racing itself.
|
| Question :
This is the
150th victory for Ferrari, but at the same time,
before the race, there was some
booing and a Ferrari flag barred. Can you
reflect on that?
|
| M.Schumacher
: I think they
just make a sport out of it. When
you look at it from our
point of view there's
a competition between our supporters
and our enemies. It's always been
like this. You can't always
have 100 percent supporters and honestly,
when I see the people
who do it and you give them a smile or a kiss,
they actually start to laugh. They're
just joking around, I don't think they are too
serious. I think we have reacted in a proper way to
tell our fans which are very important to
us, that we will not do that again, for them.
It is always a little bit more in Montreal - I
guess there's a good reason for it, that
obviously my past competitor, being Canadian,
is obviously not my best friend, and the Canadians do
sort of know that, I guess. |
|
Question :
Any
feelings or explanation about having so much success
in one venue?
|
| M.Schumacher
:
I think I've
won five times in Monte Carlo too, so it's not only
the case in Canada. Why at certain races and not other
races, I don't know. Sometimes
it's down to luck a bit, sometimes you work for your
luck, but there's no specific reason to it honestly.
Probably the reason is
that I'm already into my twelfth year in Formula One.
|
| Question :
Michael, with
this advantage, is the next race going to be extra
special?
|
| M.Schumacher
: No. Not
necessarily. It makes me another little
step more comfortable but it took me pushing
as much as before. My testing schedule is planned
for next week. It is not like, now I
have won I can ease off, stay home
and take holidays. That is not going to be the case.
|
| Question :
I meant more to being in
Germany.
|
| M.Schumacher
: Obviously I think whether
we do well or not so well, our German supporters
are always happy for us to come there and
drive in front of them. I haven't realised
a big difference in all honesty, over
the years I have come down there.
|
| Question :
Michael. Do you wish the
competition were closer, that you were winning
these races more with a fight to the death, a wheel
- to - wheel battle right to the finish.
Would that be more satisfying?
|
| M.Schumacher
: It is not
my fault that Juan breaks down because it would have
been a very close battle to the end, I am quite
sure. But that is racing, and I think I have had
very close battling in some races and I
had other races when it wasn't so close but it has always
been like this and as long as I am in Formula
One that is the way the game is. It is not
a sort of go-kart competition any more.
|
| Question :
No, but
with all due respect what
I wasn't arguing about how it has happened.
|
| M.Schumacher
: Yeah, but what
I am saying is that I do enjoy, and I have
always said that I do enjoy that, but there is not every
race like that. |
|
