|
Question :
Michael,
a little bit down on sector one there…
|
| M.Schumacher
: Yes,
a little wobble, a little
rear locking which caused me to go wide but
I was still lucky because I
was able to catch it just at the apex again
and didn't lose too much time and then had a good lap
from there on. |
| Question :
Rubens
was a little bit down on his lap - was that a concern
for you going into your qualifying lap?
|
| M.Schumacher
: I
didn't actually see the sectors; I
just heard the result afterwards. No, honestly,
our car has been perfectly balanced all
weekend.Together with the engineers, we've done a great
job finding the balance
straight away from Friday morning
onwards. No, I felt that I could
do better. |
|
Question :
You
were significantly quicker than anybody else yesterday
in terms of car versus car, but today it looks
very close. How do you see the race tomorrow?
|
| M.Schumacher
: What
we saw yesterday I would maybe put down to set-up
issues. I guess the huge difference
that we saw wasn't honestly a true reflection.
At least, that's my guess from what
I have seen and what I have seen today, so it
should be an interesting situation tomorrow. |
| Question :
Michael,
since this race last year, we have a new rule that says
no team orders should be applied that affect
the result of the race. Now, we saw you and Rubens
actually touching wheels at the first
corner in the previous race, the Spanish
Grand Prix. Can you just talk us
through your interpretation of that new
rule under the heading of ‘how do you also drive
in the best interests of the team?'
|
| M.Schumacher
:
You see the thing in my mind is to
win the race, and that's the only thing
that counts. That's what I'm going for,
that's what our strategy is
based on, and team strategy is history.
|
|
Question :
Fine, but nonetheless, team strategy
does come into play still. We see different cars
on different strategies, even within the same teams
sometimes.
|
| M.Schumacher
:
Yup, possible, but I think we
made a very clear statement after what happened
last year and we will stick to that statement
and whatever is allowed from there. Everybody
will do the same whenever it's
in their interests.
|
| Question :
There
are some predictions of
rain tomorrow. What are your thoughts on that?
|
|
M.Schumacher
:
Well,
no thoughts honestly. I think we will be prepared
for all circumstances. We now have two choices
of tyres, which I think is a very wise
decision from the FIA to make the sport
a bit safer in that respect, so I have
no doubts whatever weather conditions we will face.
|
|
Question :
Michael,
do you think it had
all gone away at the second corner?
|
| M.Schumacher
: No
not all gone away. I knew
that I lost a little bit of time but to me not
a great deal because I got the car back
just enough not to run too
wide on the kerbs and there lose a lot of traction,
so no, I knew that it would be close
but seeing how close and seeing what we have done,
it gave me good satisfaction. |
| Question :
There
is only one corner before
the first intermediate point but we were
just working out you were
actually fourth quickest when you got there and then
you had the moment as well so it was quite something
to get it back…
|
| M.Schumacher
: Well,
the fourth quickest, I think it was only Kimi who was
exceptionally quick in that area, who was about two
tenths quicker than the rest
and then everybody else was within hundreds and
thousands and probably so was I at fourth, but
yeah, on top I had the
moment. My personal situation showed me a good
sector time so I was not worried for the first sector
at least, it was just
down to the last sector to keep the tyres
together and just have a clean run and not
have the wobble in the last
corner as yesterday.
|
|
Question :
What
is it about the kerbs
here, it is almost as if they tempt the
drivers to use them more,
particularly the first and last corners and
a little bit in the second?
|
| M.Schumacher
: The
last corner, I think, is probably the most specific
case because you can use
quite a bit of it on the inside and sometimes
it drives you wide and if you go beyond the first section
of kerb you come to this very special sector of kerb
and that just pulls you out
and if you go there you
lose a lot of time. You are sort of tempted
to over-push a little bit all the time and yeah
I have struggled and as we have
seen some other guys.
|
| Question :
Is
that going to be the case in the race or less so?
|
| M.Schumacher
: I
think I have made enough
experience yesterday so I hope that is enough
for me.
|
| Question :
Some
of the later drivers seemed to be
a bit all over the track. Michael, as you
were the last one out did
the track seem especially dirty or slippery to you?
|
|
M.Schumacher
: Indeed,
there was quite a
bit of dirt on the circuit accelerating out
of the first corner which
you naturally carry into the first corner and then
the exit of turn one was not particularly clean
as well but that was the same for Rubens.
|
| Question :
Were
you told to take it a bit easier
because of that?
|
| M.Schumacher
: No,
you always drive to your circumstances and that is that.
|
|
