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2004 |
July
News |
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| Sunday
July 11, 2004 |
| British
GP -
Race Press Conference |
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| Question:
Michael, you have a big smile on your face. A two-stop
strategy this time compared to the three of most of
your closest opposition.
Michael Schumacher:
Yeah, obviously I was amazed how the race went. I
thought we had a very good strategy for the race but
that it would pay out so early, leading the race so
early basically after my first stop coming in front
ahead of everybody, that was not the plan, honestly.
But my car was just going so well in the last laps
when I had free track that I was able to close the
margin I had on Kimi which he pulled out in his first
11 laps and that was just phenomenal. After that it
was just controlling it, lucky obviously with the
strategy I had Kimi was behind me and I could control
that, it was tight in a couple of areas but not too
tight and very interesting obviously.
Q:
Of course, what you could not predict was the safety
car coming out about 20 laps from the end and then
it was gloves off racing to the finish.
MS:
Yeah, obviously that sort of took away my comfortable
lead I had built up by that stage and I was probably
lucky that I had two other drivers between me and
Kimi because the warm-up performance of Kimi's tyres
and my tyres was noticeably different. Had he been
directly behind me, thanks to the safety car - who
was going very, very slow around, didn't look to put
any effort in his drive – I had very cold tyres and
that didn't really help me for the first couple of
laps when Kimi came close. We had a nice little fight
for a couple of laps and my tyres came back and I
was able to open the lead again.
Q:
It was pretty close with both you and Rubens. We have
been saying all weekend how good your car has been,
particularly on fast corners here. Is that where you
had the advantage over Kimi towards the end?
MS:
Erm, looking at it Kimi seemed to be very good in
the infield, in the last sector, in particular. But
saying that obviously we were on very different strategies
- he was a lot lighter while he was behind me. It
is difficult for me to predict how the situation really
was but we obviously had the best package for the
whole circuit.
Q:
Kimi, what a start! Take us through that start and
those early laps.
Kimi Raikkonen:
It was good. The start was very good, to get the first
place, and I just went as quickly as I could and I
think after the first lap there was already quite
a big gap. I kept pushing all the time but then I
was a bit unlucky with the traffic, I got stuck behind
the two Minardis after the first pit stop and this
cost me way too much time. Every time I came out with
new tyres I got stuck behind someone but that is racing
and at least we got the second place in the end.
Q:
Indeed, your first podium since Suzuka last year.
But, from the safety car onwards, you were very close
to Michael within a couple of laps of the car going
in and then Michael started to pull away again.
KR:
Yeah, I think the last set of tyres I had more difficulties
with at the rear end than any other set so, like Michael
said, I was hoping that I could get past the two lapped
cars very quickly so that I could really challenge
him with the new tyres. I got close to him but not
past him. But for me, the team, Mercedes, for everyone,
it is a good result because after a really difficult
start to the season we finally got things going the
right way and got back on the right track and we got
some results. Now it is only the second race for the
car so hopefully we can improve it.
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Q:
Rubens, you maintained your record as the only driver
to score points in every race so far this season.
There was a lot of racing with Jenson Button there,
you got the better of him in the pit stops then you
nearly caught Kimi at the end.
Rubens Barrichello:
Yeah, I had quite a good race but a tough one. After
the start it was quite clear that they had this (tyre)
warming up a bit better than us and it was really
difficult to follow Kimi for the first three of laps,
So we lost a little bit of time and it was difficult
to catch him up. I was catching slightly, I opened
up on Jenson, but when I came to the first pit stop
I went out a little bit heavy in the middle of the
traffic and the car wasn't working very well. That's
the part of the race that really cost me more points
really and maybe the victory. After all it was quite
clear that Michael, on a two-stop, was doing a superb
job and he was going to win, so when I saw the safety
car then everything was alive again. But unfortunately,
again, I had too many problems on the first two laps
warming up again and it cost me.
Q:
Did you get close enough to Kimi right at the end
to have a go at him?
RB:
No, I think the pace was to high to try to have a
go. I was thinking the public was thinking I could
really do it - because of last week – at the final
moment but I had to be a bit faster to try to do anything.
I was faster than him on sector one through Becketts
and everything but he was faster through sector three
in the infield, so it was difficult to make up.
Q:
Michael, what a season this is turning out to be.
I know there is still a long way to go but can we
just reflect a little bit on your thoughts on this
victory, how things are just going so well for you,
how good the car is. Actually, this is the first time
you have won a Formula One race from fourth on the
grid, for what that's worth.
MS:
Yeah, it doesn't mean a lot in a way. We obviously
sacrificed qualifying for the race strategy, in a
way, and it just paid out. It is unbelievable what
has happened to me this year, to the team. I think
it just pays back for all the hard work everyone has
done in the factory. We never have let off. We learned
our lesson from last year when maybe we took it a
little bit easy at some stage and we came back just
at the right time. And because everyone felt the pain
of this nobody really wanted to be back in this pain
and everyone kept pushing. The high motivation I see
every time I go with the test team, those guys work
just flat-out all the time and when you see how hungry
the guys are it is just fantastic, each one sort of
pushes the other one and it is just an on-going thing.
I am so proud to be in the team and be able to live
in that phase of Ferrari.
Q:
Michael, that start of Kimi's - when he just disappeared
into the distance what were you thinking?
MS:
Not much. I knew what strategy I was on so I wasn't
so concerned about that.
Q:
Then, shortly afterwards when he came into the pits
you put in your usual trio of fastest laps, which
were phenomenal.
MS:
Yeah, I mean, I was stuck behind Jenson, I tried to
have a go at him but I was not really close enough
in the areas I had an opportunity, so I just had to
sit and wait because I knew the strategy I had so
there was no need for overdoing anything. Then I had
a free circuit and I just used my car and the potential
I had and that was obviously working very well.
Q:
So, when you were twice caught by Kimi, you weren't
particularly worried?
MS:
No because even had he passed me I knew the pace I
had he would have opened a little bit of a gap but
not enough to worry us, honestly, with the strategy
we had.
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Q:
And, really, even the safety car worked against only
you and helped all the rest of them.
MS:
I know, I know. That is the way it is. I was lucky,
obviously, to have a couple of cars between me and Kimi
that allowed me to get my tyres to work and I was able
to keep my position.
Q:
How were the tyres today, because I believe you were
on the softer option.
MS:
Our tyres worked fantastically well, I have to say,
with maybe the exception of the opening laps and after
the safety car, but we had a very strong performance
towards the end of the stint, so you trade one against
the other. You rarely have safety cars, you have just
one start, but you have many last laps, so I think for
the race and for the consistency we were sorted out
very well.
Q:
Kimi, that 3.5-second lead at the end of the first lap
– what about that? What were you thinking?
KR:
I just tried to do my best and push as hard as I could
because I knew that Ferrari might be quicker than us
over the race distance so I tried to build as much gap
as I could. I did it well, but every time when I came
out from the pits I was stuck behind someone so I couldn't
use my new tyres, really, to gain more time. Then Michael
got in front of me and I was stuck behind him. I tried
to pass but I wasn't quick enough.
Q:
Did you think you could win when you were right behind
him there?
KR:
Of course, I was always thinking that, I didn't give
up before we finished the race. And in the last part,
when we were behind the safety car I was also thinking
that if I went past the two cars between us quickly
then I would have a good chance because with new tyres
I might be able to pass him. But it took too long to
get past those two cars so I wasn't able. But in the
end second place was good for us.
Q:
What have you learned about the MP4-19B this weekend
that you can take into, say, Hockenheim?
KR:
I guess that it is a quick car and it is reliable but
we still need to improve it and I think we are getting
some new parts for the next race and hopefully we can
go more strongly and maybe we can try for a win. It
is a very positive start because it is only the second
race that we have taken this car and we can really race
with it, so it is very good for the team and for all
the people.
Q:
Rubens, you were gaining at the end there, did you think
you could get second place?
RB:
No, to be honest with you, I don't think so. I wasn't
quick enough to have a go at him. Obviously, if we had
another ten laps and our tyres were always getting better
and better I don't know if he would have a problem with
his, then, yes, but those two laps were close but not
close enough.
Q:
It was a really early first stop, lap nine, was that
always scheduled?
RB:
We had the thinking that I could be on pole and just
do nine qualifying laps and really open up a gap just
like Michael did at the Nuerburgring. The problem was
that first, the qualifying lap yesterday started really
well but the pressure in the tyres went a bit too high
and I struggled on sector three so therefore I lost
time and so Kimi pipped me. But even if I was on pole
today, he would have given me a tremendous problem on
the first lap because warming up (my tyres) was really
a problem today. I don't think we have a problem with
that, but today. Because of the weather, we did have
a problem so then I struggled. I struggled for three
laps, more or less, and then he opened such a gap and
I just recouped it a little bit but when I came to the
first pit stop, after I did it and I was a bit heavy
and I wasn't going anywhere and all of a sudden when
I picked up a little bit of speed I was behind that
group of six or seven cars which were fighting for position
so I lost out a little bit today. |
Q:
Jenson got ahead of you in the first pit stop and then
you got ahead of him in the next one.
RB:
I was lucky that I had one more lap than him because
that was the only way I could have actually passed him.
I don't know if I would have had the chance to pass
him on the track. Obviously by myself, when my tyres
were old, that was very very quick, so when he went
into the pits I could see my fastest sectors and I was
really thinking that I could have done it. |
Q:
Michael, every now and again you seem to have a bad
race: Suzuka, Hungary. Do you plan to have one this
year and if so, could you tell us when?
Michael Schumacher:
You wish (me) to have one?
Q:
I hope you don't, but you usually do.
MS:
So do I.
Q:
I guess the answer's no to that one.
Q:
Michael, when did you made the decision on the strategy
for today's race and what were your reasons for it?
MS:
Basically yesterday, when we decided that strategy.
We thought it was the best one and we did not get the
car sorted out completely until qualifying. We didn't
feel so comfortable to be able to go for pole position
after seeing the lap times of the competitors around
– and there were quite a few - so we thought it was
better to then swap around and try a different approach.
Q:
Was fourth on the grid more or less what you were expecting?
MS:
It was actually better than I thought. We managed to
get in a very nice lap. We finally sorted the car out
for qualifying but I didn't know that beforehand because
I didn't have a normal qualifying session, let's say,
to find out and therefore I just thought maybe to be
sixth/seventh, somewhere there, but it worked out better
than I thought.
Q:
Rubens, when you are faster than Michael, on those occasions
when you are, do you get the first choice if there are
two strategies, do you get to chose what you are going
to take or are you instructed which one you are going
to take?
Rubens Barrichello:
We have a team that show us many papers and many ways
of doing things. It's common sense. We were talking,
I was the one that was really sorted out with the set
up, especially for the new tyres so everyone thought
OK, let's put Rubens to try to be on pole. Michael wasn't
so happy with his car and let's try to have a race this
way. You know we had a tyre which was really good in
terms of wear, so the three stops could have been marginal
in terms of if you think two stops was the right way
to go. But we knew people were going to go for pole
position so with me the team decided to go for two different
strategies.
Q:
If you had the choice again would you do the same strategy?
RB:
(Laughs) But if I knew the fuel level of everyone right
now then I would probably have changed but if I had
to do it all over again and not knowing the details
again, I probably would have made the pressures of my
tyre differently, and I wouldn't have done it again,
yes, no problem.
Q:
Michael, it seems every circuit we come to there are
different challenges team-wise for Ferrari, and yet
you guys always seem to come out on top. Can you give
us a bit of an insight into the atmosphere at the team,
what motivates you guys and what keeps the team motivated? |
MS:
Obviously, it is hard work to achieve what we are achieving
and to have a car the way we have it. We have suffered
last year when it got close and we almost lost the championship
and it was a big push to turn it around in our favour.
Since that happened it maybe caused some sort of change
of attitude, although we always had a good attitude
but it can even be better, it can always improve and
we saw that. And since that happened, I just see everybody
being motivated, when I come back from a race to go
to a test, everybody is so happy because they work so
hard, they live for racing and the success is their
payback. If you see the excitement of these guys it
is just phenomenal. It's so unique to live in this area
we are living in and obviously everybody wants to keep
it as long as possible and to be with it and to do the
best to keep it.
Q:
Michael, we would all like to know, how is Ralf?
MS:
He is improving and probably he is improving too quickly
because he gets - how do you say? - you can't hold him
back enough. Basically, he already wants to sit in the
car and you have to tell him all the time to take it
easy.
Q:
In the last four races, three you won with an alternative
strategy, is that an indication that the others are
catching up?
MS:
Definitely. If you look at the beginning of the season,
Australia I think we could have taken any strategy and
we would have won. That's not possible any more, simply
because the others have picked up. Saying that, it was
not expected to be where we were at the beginning of
the season. It was far more expected to be in what we
are seeing now, and probably even more difficult, because
if you saw the winter testing, and I guess if you ask
Kimi, he was pretty sure they were going to have an
opportunity at some stage and so did many journalists,
so we did feel that's going to be the toughest year
we are going to have to face and then it turns out the
way it does which is obviously thanks to giving it 100
percent from our side and probably not from the other
side.
Q:
Question to Kimi, could you describe your feelings sitting
in the car today and being able to fight for victory
for the first time since Japan last year?
Kimi Raikkonen:
Of course it was good, nice feeling, to be back racing
for the podium and for the first place, not only just
for me, but for the whole team because we've been having
a really difficult season and everybody has been working
to try to improve that situation and now finally with
the new car, the 19B, we are starting to get in the
right direction, in the right way, so for sure it was
very nice to not just be fighting for one point in seventh
or eighth place. So I am much more than happy now, but
I would be much more happier to be in first place but
we cannot get everything straight away. So we need to
still keep working hard and try to improve the package
and then hopefully by the end of the season we are in
the position where we really can challenge for a win
at every race. That what we're aiming for.
Q:
Rubens, at the restart, after the safety car, you seemed
to be a bit far away from Kimi – was it the same problem
as Michael, who said you had some problems to warm up
your tyres behind the safety car, at the speed he had?
RB:
Unfortunately today we did have a little bit of a problem.
I'm sure that it will raise a lot of questions if we
do have the problem for ever, or if we actually always
have it. In fact I think everyone suffers from the problem
of warming up behind the safety car, but particularly
today we did have a small problem, yes, and even though
I was trying to do everything I could in terms of heating
up the tyres, when Michael started to accelerate out
of Priory, turn 15, and then Kimi got going in his car
as well, I couldn't follow. The first two cars were
already probably a second behind. I was really fired
up but at that stage I saw that being with that problem,
I had to take care not to be overtaken by Button because
he had a better car out of the corner at that time,
so it took me two laps to get going again and after
that it was okay.
Q:
On the same subject, Michael, were you actually unhappy
with the pace of the safety car today?
MS:
I would have wished it to go quicker, yeah.
Q:
On grounds of safety? Because it was going slower?
MS:
No, when you have a Formula One car and you have to
drive behind the road car, it's not the easiest thing
to warm up your tyres.
Q:
Michael, this is your 80th win, on the occasion of your
75th, you said that you didn't race for records, you
raced because you loved it. Does the 80th bring any
more enjoyment than the first or are they all the same? |
MS:
It is just different, honestly.
Q:
Kimi, when the safety car came in, you put in a wonderful
lap just after the safety car came in and then Michael
pulled away. Can you tell us exactly what happened from
there to the end of the race?
KR:
Because I had new tyres, you can see sometimes that
the Michelins are working very well straight after you
go out, so I was able to pull away. Then at the end
I had more fuel than in his car. Maybe I struggled a
little bit more on the last set of tyres then the others,
I was sliding a bit from the rear of the car so I was
not able to keep a distance or to keep close to him
so I backed off for a little while, and then tried to
push again after that.
Q:
The British Grand Prix could be under threat, would
you be sorry if you weren't racing in Great Britain?
MS:
Yup, certainly.
RB:
Yes.
KR:
It's a nice circuit to race on. We get some overtaking
so it would be nice to come back here.
Q:
We've heard about McLaren having some more improvements.
Have Ferrari got something up their sleeve for the next
few races?
MS:
Certainly we are not sleeping so we are working on new
projects but we keep on working on the old one as well,
because we like winning, honestly. |
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