|
Question :
Michael,
it looked like a difficult warm-up for you. You are
P3. I guess it hasn't slipped your notice that Kimi
Raikkonen is at the back of the grid again. Tell us
about your qualifying session…
|
| M.Schumacher
: Honestly,
if I consider the quality of my lap, being third I have
to be happy because that wasn't one of my better ones.
I am reasonably okay with the position I am in so let's
see what happens tomorrow. |
| Question :
Do
you think that on a perfect lap the pole was there for
you? |
| M.Schumacher
: It
would have been difficult. It would have been tight.
Probably not. Honestly, the mistake wasn't that big.
But we have to consider the championship situation and
knowing where Kimi is at the moment and where we can
be tomorrow that is obviously very promising. |
|
Question :
How
much do you think the track had changed between Ralf
running and you going out? Was there more grip than
during the warm-up?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Maybe
a little bit, yup. It should, be naturally, after all
the rain has fallen, it should have improved but by
how much – who knows? |
| R.Schumacher
: It
looks like there wasn't so much more, was there? |
| M.Schumacher
:
It's difficult to assess, honestly. I think the warm-up
cleaned up most of it and whether there was… maybe a
little bit. |
|
Question :
After
Kimi went off, did you change the tactics for the
race? You gave the impression that you might have
done.
|
| M.Schumacher
: It
looked like it in the first corner – I almost did the
same thing as he did. So no, I just concentrated on
my job and wanted to do my best and tried to use the
opportunity, honestly. |
| Question :
You
hadn't changed the fuel strategy at that stage? |
|
M.Schumacher
: As
you know, we cannot because after two o' clock we
cannot change anything.
|
|
Question :
What
about the tyre war swing. Do you think it's gone slightly
towards Michelin here?
|
| M.Schumacher
: It
looks to be, yeah. The question is: how much fuel is
on board? That's something we will find out tomorrow.
|
| Question :
Obviously the Bridgestones have been very, very good
in wet weather. Do you still feel they are competitive
with Michelin in the dry as well? |
| M.Schumacher
: I
feel we were far more competitive in the wet condition,
which was very obvious yesterday and today, this morning,
as well. But in the dry, things are very close. Who
has the advantage? It's difficult to say. In qualifying
it looks a little bit towards Michelin, depending on
the fuel load obviously and in the race, consistency
and so on, we will find out. |
|
Question :
Michael,
because we don't know the fuel loads exactly and whatever
strategy you will be using tomorrow, how relevant
are qualifying times really? Should they have an asterisk
next to them under the current new rules system?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Let
me put it this way. They probably, in terms of history,
won't have maybe the quality or the meaning of what
they used to have because now, whoever wants to drive
with very little fuel can maybe jump to pole position
and then have to come for a pit stop very early in the
race. So there is this factor and to history it's different.
But okay, that's the way the rules are. |
| Question :
Is
that a good thing or a bad thing?
|
| M.Schumacher
: Well,
I don't like it personally. |
|
Question :
Michael,
what is your feeling going into the race knowing that
Kimi is starting at the back of the grid and he's
the guy you're trying to catch for the championship?
|
| M.Schumacher
:
Well, you have to look at the championship and that's
what I'm doing. And obviously, we had some misfortune
earlier in the season and with these rules it works
sometimes in favour and sometimes against you. We'll
have to find out how much that will help us. |
| Question :
Michael,
Formula One is obviously very popular here in Canada,
but it hasn't really caught on in the US. Do you think
it ever will catch on there and is it even important
to you, your team and your sponsors? |
| M.Schumacher
: Well,
I think if you see the history how long Formula One
races in Canada and how long i |
