Question:
Jenson,
what a lap, what a fantastic lap, here on Ferrari's
home soil too!
Jenson Button:
Thank you. It was, it was a great lap and I enjoyed
it very much. In pre-qualifying, I was a little wide
because I had very low grip but, in proper qualifying,
it seemed to be all there, it seemed to be very similar
to this morning's car, so I was very happy, and I
don't think there were any mistakes.
Question:
It looked like a perfect lap. You spoke after Bahrain,
after the race, of perhaps wanting to concentrate
more on the set-up for qualifying. Is that what happened
here?
Jenson Button:
We set the car up for the race, as everybody does
but we were lacking in qualifying a little bit. I
don't know why. We seemed to lose a lot of time when
we got to qualifying, but here we seemed to have resolved
that problem – well, obviously we have.
Question:
You can't escape the atmosphere here at Imola, it
is tremendous. You're on the pole for this race; describe
your feelings about the race for tomorrow?
Jenson Button:
I can't wait. Qualifying is one thing, but obviously
winning a race is the main goal. I think that's going
to be a little bit tougher than today's qualifying.
But yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's the first
time in my Formula One career that I've had nobody
in front of me at the start, so it's all down to me
now.
Question:
Michael, you were up there halfway through the lap
and it just fell away a little bit as you came out
of the top chicane....
Michael Schumacher:
Yeah. As Jenson really put in a very good lap, it
was all or nothing and I tried very hard. I just overdid
it a little bit at that place, and actually I was
lucky to keep it on the circuit and not go completely
into a spin. Luckily, it was just good enough for
second then, and it's going to look like an interesting
race for us tomorrow.
Question:
Three wins in a row, looks like great weather, fantastic
atmosphere - how do you see the race going tomorrow
for you?
Michael Schumacher:
Indeed, I think it's going to be a very interesting
race, a tight battle I believe. It's going to be interesting
to see how the other cars sort themselves out into
the first corner because there honestly are some [good]
potential drivers among one another and it will be
interesting to see how that all works out.
Question:
Juan Pablo, it was looking very good for you there
in the previous session, but tell us how it went in
qualifying?
Juan Pablo Montoya:
I think it went really well. As you can see, we took
little fuel in the first qualifying because we wanted
to run last and as you see, the track got better and
it worked quite well for us. I think we've got a very
good race car. I was actually lacking pace on new
tyres and with the work we did it seemed to come to
me a little bit. I'm very pleased to be honest. The
first time I've actually out qualified Ralf here,
so it's good.
Question:
We're seeing a bit of a BMW Williams resurgence here
now. How do you think it's going to go in the race
tomorrow?
Juan Pablo Montoya:
I think we have a very strong race car. It will be
interesting to see what happens really; with Jenson
I think it's going to be a close battle. He put up
a lot of good laps today, but I think in the race
it's going to be a lot closer. And the question is
how the Bridgestones are going to behave against the
Michelins, but I definitely think we're in the game.
Question:
Jenson congratulations. You keep breaking down these
records, your own personal bests. What does this one
mean?
Jenson Button:
I'm pleased we've got no cars in front, which is a
positive definitely. It is a fantastic feeling to
get pole here especially on Ferrari's turf and I'm
very pleased.
Question:
It seemed that all the time came in the final sector,
a full half-a-second in the final sector. Did you
concentrate on that?
Jenson Button:
The final sector was very good this morning. It is
just trying not to overheat the tyres too much for
the last sector. It was a great lap and I don't think
I made a mistake anywhere round.
Question:
The first two sectors were good as well?
Jenson Button:
As good as I could have done. I was flat out.
Question:
The final sector, that is all about keeping the rear
tyres together is it, or cool?
Jenson Button:
It is and there is the top chicane, which is pretty
tough, which I think I have gained a lot of time over
the week, but also the last chicane. Obviously, you
have got to be very careful through there because
the kerbs are quite big and it is very easy to unsettle
the car.
Question:
What is the team's reaction to Michael's fairly short
stints over the last couple of races? You haven't
by any chance gone for a similar strategy, have you?
Jenson Button:
Our strategies seem to work every race we've been
to for us. We've been very strong on the last few
stints, and that is important for us and we are looking
at the end result.
Question:
Michael, obviously it all went wrong in the Variante
Alta, didn't it? Did you hit the kerb too hard, what
happened there?
Michael Schumacher:
Honestly, the time I lost over there wouldn't have
been enough to beat Jenson. I think it wouldn't have
been enough anyway. For me, it is not a surprise because
he put in a very good lap and I sort of anticipated
that they would be strong here this weekend.
Question:
You were two-tenths up going into the last sector…
Michael Schumacher:
Yeah, but if you look all weekend, we were very good
in the mid-sector in particular, sort of even in the
first sector and maybe a bit slower in the last sector.
Question:
You didn't do a huge number of laps in the second
session this morning, do you feel you were missing
that little bit of track time?
Michael Schumacher:
No, we're pretty happy. We've been here in the winter,
testing the car, so we pretty much knew what we wanted
and what we had to do. We felt there was nothing more
to achieve.
Question:
And in the pre-qualifying session, you felt that one
was okay as well?
Michael Schumacher:
Yeah. It was low grip being again the road sweeper
- it was reasonable, but not perfect.
Question:
I mentioned the short stints just now, the last one
was nine laps in Bahrain. Do you think other drivers
are going to copy that strategy?
Michael Schumacher:
Ask the other drivers. I don't know.
Question:
Have you been worried that they are going to follow
you and you are then going to change it all together
for this race?
Michael Schumacher:
It could be. It could be that some people would like
to adapt and do a certain strategy, but it is all
speculation. We'll leave it open until tomorrow.
Question:
Juan Pablo, did you hope you were going to be quicker
after pre-qualifying?
Juan Pablo Montoya:
Not really. I said before, I was talking to my engineer
and said it would be more like a 20.5 and then people
start going quicker and I thought a 20.0, it was good
because that's what we were expecting. It was very
hard to judge. The track was getting so much quicker
and … this morning, you thought it could be a
20.9 or a 21 – you never know. Then you see Jenson's
time and you go 'Jesus Christ, where am I going to
pull the time?'. He did a bloody good job!
Question:
What's made the difference during the weekend? What
sort of things have you been changing this weekend,
because it seems to have got a lot better?
Juan Pablo Montoya:
Yesterday was a complete disaster. After the first
session, I wanted Sunday. Then working hard with the
team, we came around mechanically, especially change
the car completely and made bigger steps.
Question:
Were you still making steps between the pre-qualifying
and the qualifying?
Juan Pablo Montoya:
Not really. Pre-qualifying just put the fuel back
for the race on Sunday.
Question:
Jenson do you remember your last pole position?
Jenson Button:
No. It was a long time ago. It would have been in
'99 in Formula Three. I went karting last year, but
I don't think that counts!
Question:
Did you come here for the winter test?
Jenson Button:
No.
Question:
So it was even more important?
Jenson Button:
We've been here for the last four years, so I've gained
a lot of experience over that time. You know people
have been on pole in their first season. I think it
is more of an achievement for the whole team really.
We're still a young team and it is an impressive goal. |
