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2004 |
July
News |
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| Sunday
July 25, 2004 |
| Race
Press Conference - German GP |
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| Question:
Michael,
what a day in front of your home crowd...
Michael Schumacher:
Yeah, what a weekend, you have to say. Yesterday,
pole position; today, the victory. It was a pretty
tough race, especially the beginning when Kimi was
putting on the pressure, and then Jenson had a fantastic
drive, together with Fernando. It was a battle. The
gap I had initially, I was able to keep, but not really
extend. In this way, it was a little bit difficult,
especially at the beginning as Jenson was staying
out pretty long after his first pit stop and it wasn't
sure whether they would maybe even be on a two-stop
strategy. So it was a tough race not knowing what
was going on at several stages in the race.
Q:
And, just before he went off at turn one, Kimi was
right behind you there after that first pit-stop...
MS:
Yeah, he was right behind and he was quick, no doubt.
I think you have the general trend that between the
tyre manufacturers, you have certain stages in the
race where one is quicker than the other and then
it's the other way round later. So I wasn't too worried
as long as he was behind me and, as a strategy, it
could have worked out. But it would have been a tough
one, no doubt.
Q:
There looked to be some pretty nifty pit work from
the Ferrari crew on lap 47, on your third stop, just
after Rubens had cleared the road there. Rubens had
just come in and then you came in straight after him,
MS:
Okay, I didn't know that. When I came in, everything
was clear and our guys were just superb. Even though
they are under pressure, they don't crack, and that's
what's so fantastic about them.
Q:
Jenson, a great drive. I guess it is a complement
that Michael thought you were on a two-stop race at
one point?
Jenson Button:
The car has been working great all weekend. It is
difficult because I am so happy to have finished second
and, for me, it was the best drive of my career -
I had the best car underneath me. You know the car
performed fantastically and also the engine. But it's
slightly disappointing [to know] that, if I had started
third, it could have been a different story - there
could have been a lot more pressure on Michael, which
I would have enjoyed very much. But that's not to
be - we've got to wait for that. But, all in all,
it's a fantastic result and I've got to say a big
thank you to the team.
Q:
You actually led the race as early as lap 13. Can
you talk us through that early stage?
JB:
Sure. On the first lap, I initially got a good start,
and then I got stuck behind Taku at turn one, on the
outside, and I lost a lot of places. I think I ended
up the first lap in 13th still, and then just worked
my way up a little bit. After the first stop, the
team did a fantastic job and I came out in fifth or
sixth or something, so I'm very happy.
Q:
And a brilliant race with Fernando Alonso...
JB:
Yeah, we had a good little tussle. He's not the easiest
guy to overtake, but he's very fair and I enjoyed
it.
Q:
We saw you on the camera playing with your helmet
quite a lot on the side there. What was the problem?
JB:
The team initially thought it was a visor, but it
wasn't. It was the strap under the helmet, which was
a little bit loose. The problem is that, when the
helmet is loose, it lifts up slightly, and it was
really catching on my throat and it made it really
very difficult to breathe. So I had to hold it on
every straight to keep it down so that I could get
some air in.
|
Q:
Fernando, looking fantastic for P2 there, but what
happened with 14 laps to go?
Fernando Alonso:
Well, I don't know really. At the beginning, I thought
a front wheel problem, I thought that something was
broken there, and then I thought a suspension problem.
It was impossible to turn in, no front end at all.
I did three laps running in the 1min 18s, 1min 19s.
David arrived and Montoya was very close. I even called
the pits to come in on that lap and check, but they
said 'stay out, there are 13 laps to go and the maximum
you arrive in is sixth or seventh and you take some
points'. I was really worried at that stage and then
I touched one kerb at turn six and the car was back
to normal so, from there, it was a normal race for
the last ten laps, eleven laps.
Q:
You've made many brilliant starts in your career with
Renault, was this one the best start you have ever
made?
FA:
This was one of the best. I think the best one was
in Indianapolis, from ninth to third, but this one
if I had qualified fourth yesterday, probably I would
get first position. But anyway, to be second was a
great surprise.
Q:
And then that great race with Jenson, tell us from
your point of view how that was....
FA:
Yeah, it was very fun, I think, for both of us. We
had two or three moments of big risk, I think in turn
seven, I believe. I think we both enjoyed the fight.
I think we are two very aggressive drivers, not easy
to overtake, very aggressive, we think we can overtake
as well, but we are both very fair. I enjoyed it in
those laps.
Q:
Michael, this is now your 50th straight race without
a technical failure on the car, what does that say
about the team?
MS:
It's just self explanat… it explains itself! And it
is just fabulous, absolutely wonderful, it's not only
the reliability, the pit-stops, just everything, it's
just spot on. We are able to achieve 100 per cent
most of the time and that is what makes this team
so strong and us so difficult to beat.
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Q:
Michael, that seems to have been another faultless and
flawless win. Were there any problems at all?
Michael Schumacher:
Yeah, to the right and left of me! It has been a tough
one, although maybe I was always in a safe situation
in terms of distance but it was not foreseen what would
have been possible to happen especially at the end when
Jenson was stuck behind Fernando. I think, before the
last pit-stop, there was a while Jenson was behind him
and, at that stage, it wasn't sure whether he could
get by and what sort of lap times he could have gone,
because, before his first pit-stop, I was behind him
and he was going quite quick so at that stage. I was
obviously a little concerned that I was pushing flat
out and trying to make sure that I didn't leave anything
open and feel sorry later.
Q:
Was he the one you were worried about most?
MS:
Obviously, Kimi in the beginning, he was a big threat,
he was very quick, but then I don't know what would
have happened later, because he seemed initially to
be quick and then I was able to pull out a gap to him
in the first stint, so I guess I should have pulled
out a gap again in the other stints, but who knows?
Q:
Were the tyres consistent?
MS:
Tyres were consistent, yep. They were good. We worked
very well in Jerez last week for very hot temperatures,
and we just got tyres together spot on, especially for
the race.
Q:
The achievements you are enjoying with the team, obviously
- Peter just mentioned 50 races since you last had a
mechanical retirement – and these fantastic victories.
What do they mean to you?
MS:
I'm just extremely happy. There are no words for this
feeling. If you see what happened yesterday, this morning
I was out on the parade lap, all the emotions from our
fans here, it was just fabulous. And then to win the
race and to do it at home where I haven't been that
greatly successful over the years, it's just unbelievable.
Several numbers are coming together again this weekend
which simply makes it extra special. I'm just feeling
very great.
Q:
Could you hear the reception they were giving you?
MS:
Yeah. It's difficult not to, even over the engine, you
really feel it.
Q:
Jenson, you had a tremendous battle with Fernando and
tried to overtake a couple of times. Tell us about those
dives down the inside and the outside as well?
Jenson Button:
Well, Fernando had very good traction out of turn three,
so I would lose a bit of time but on the straight I
was able to get quite close to him. At the hairpin,
it is very difficult to know where to go on overtaking.
Fernando has put the car on the inside, so I went to
the outside first and tried to come back on the inside
and that didn't work because he had very good traction
and could stay on the outside. I tried it a couple of
times, a few different ways, it didn't work, and then,
after the pit-stop, I found myself right behind Fernando
again and, erm, I can't remember what happened! I went
down the inside and got the move and I was just holding
onto it around the next corner, which is the flat-out
right-hander.
Q:
I mean that was what it was about, being able to stay
on the inside up to there, wasn't it?
JB:
Yeah, it seems here that you make a move and that's
not it, you know, it continues for three or four corners,
which is great. It makes it more exciting. But it would
have been a bit nicer if it was a bit easier! |
Q:
How close were you coming to the pits with your problem
with the helmet?
JB:
Not very close. The problem I had was that the strap
came a bit loose and when it does that the helmet lifts
up and it was slightly choking me. I couldn't breathe
very well and it was just more worrying than anything
else. I was just slightly pulling it down to get some
air in.
Q:
Fernando, can you just explain how you got back on the
pace again after your problem with the suspension. It
wasn't that clear when you mentioned it just now. What
happened?
FA:
I think it is still not clear. With 16 laps to go, after
Jenson overtook me, I felt the car like in the air in
the front, no front grip at all and I thought that I
had a front wing problem or I had lost the front wing
or something. So I called the pits, my engineer, and
said ‘check when I go in a straight line and check if
I still have the front wing' because, I don't know,
I don't feel the front wing at all and I was running
five seconds slower. He said ‘it's okay, stay on the
track because you would lose too much time if we have
to check' and after two laps the car went back to normal,
so we have to investigate a little bit more or maybe,
they said on the in lap coming into parc ferme
that maybe it was something going underneath the car
and at one point it came away. So, I was lucky to finish
on the podium
Q:
Now, just going back to the start of the race, you were
right behind Michael on the first lap but then Kimi
got past you. What happened there?
FA:
Well, we had not enough straight-line speed so to keep
position in turn six (hairpin) was always a problem
– if I went on the inside they would take me on the
outside by braking later, if I go on the outside they
overtake me on the inside, so there was not much to
do. I think I did all I could to keep my position with
Kimi and then with Montoya, then with Jarno, then with
Jenson. So I had a tough race and, as I said before,
after the problems I had with the car and everything
this podium feels much better than a normal podium.
Q:
Fernando, this podium is a great start for the next
two races for you, because you already know how it is
to win in Hungary and in Spa, one with Formula One and
one with Formula 3000. I think they are two circuits
you like a lot?
FA:
Yeah, I think we have my two favourite tracks coming
now, Hungary and Spa, and we arrive with a very good
motivation. I think the team is doing a very good job.
We need to improve a little bit in some areas to be
competitive in circuits like that because I think we
were a little bit down compared with Ferrari and BAR
but I think Hungary will suit our car, Spa as well,
and we will go for the podium or victory if we have
the possibility.
Q:
Jenson, after what happened yesterday did you seriously
believe you could finish second today?
JB:
No, I didn't! I knew we would be quick but I expected
probably to be about fifth come the end of the race.
This year it has seemed very difficult to come through
the field. A few times we have seen people starting
low on the grid because of a penalty and they have found
it very difficult so I didn't hold too much hope. But
it was a fantastic race, it wasn't the best first lap
of the year – I didn't actually, I don't think, move
forward at all. I tried but I ended up moving back,
locking wheels, going off and all sorts, so it made
the race very exciting. Yeah, probably for me it was
the best race of my career. In one way it is a bit disappointing
because if we had started where we qualified we would
have had a very good chance of challenging Michael,
I think. It is hard to come to terms with that really,
but I am sure there are going to be a lot more chances
this year. |
Q:
Jenson, did you always intend to stop after all the
other guys in the first stint or was did it surprise
you how early they pitted?
JB:
No, we expected to pit when we did and we thought the
other guys would pit around lap ten or lap eleven. So
that was the reason why I was so happy after qualifying
yesterday. We didn't expect to be third.
Q:
It says a lot about your qualifying, as you say. It
was a good lap, wasn't it?
JB:
Yeah, I mean, we [were running heavy] when you look
at the lap we pitted on. So yeah, the car has been very
strong all weekend and the team have done a fantastic
job because in the last couple of races we haven't been
slow but we haven't had this pace. So, I think we have
come through well and we are moving forward.
Q:
Fernando, at the start Raikkonen was crossing your line.
Without this would you have been able to even overtake
Michael?
FA:
No, I don't think so. I tried to avoid Raikkonen and
I think I lost one metre, two meters, so it was a little
bit too far anyway to overtake Michael.
Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo)
Michael, if you had lost the first position at the start
would it have been too much difference for you?
MS:
I think so.
Q:
Michael, there are now three weeks off, what will you
do in this time before Hungary?
MS:
Take some vacation and just prepare myself for Hungary.
Q:
Jenson, how confident are you about the next races?
JB:
It's really difficult to know how confident to be, because
we expected to be very quick at Silverstone and, you
know, our pace was quite average. It is difficult to
know where we stand. I know we have some new parts that
maybe we will use in Hungary that will help us, and
I think that we have made the correct tyre choice for
Hungary. I think we have to be quietly confident that
we can have a good race.
Q:
Michael, do you think 17 victories are possible?
MS:
I think it is impossible. |
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