1.
Rubens BARRICHELLO (FERRARI), 1h28m37.554s
2. Juan Pablo MONTOYA (WILLIAMS), 1h28m43.016s (+ 5.462s)
3. Kimi RAIKKONEN (McLAREN), 1h28m48.210s (+ 10.656s)
Q: What was your
reaction to the guy who jumped out on Hangar Straight, and how did that
change the shape of the race?
Rubens BARRICHELLO: First of all, I knew I had a car that was fast enough
for me to pull away. I was really confident on the Bridgestone tyres and
thanks to the improvements that we made since last week, I was really
looking good. But the only question mark was the start. There was a little
bit of a problem on the warm-up lap, because, although I started very slow
for the pack to be slow, when I accelerated a little bit to get some
temperature on the brakes and on the tyres, Jarno didn’t accelerate as much,
so I opened up a gap, and as far as I am concerned, this is not the way it
should be. We should keep the pack very close together. So he made me slow
up a lot and when I got to the grid, I waited for so long and my tyres
really dropped temperature and I had no grip at all when the start came. So
I lost two positions and then I kept it cool. It was very difficult for the
first two laps to maintain the position, but I knew it was going to be OK.
When the tyres started to be OK, I had good speed on the straight. It was
difficult to overtake Kimi because he was quick on the straight as well. I
had nothing to lose. Today was make or break.
Q: You had just set fastest lap when the guy appeared and they put out the
safety car, so talk us through the stages around that and how you felt when
that happened?
RB: I was so concentrated, I wasn’t thinking of anything else. The team did
a fantastic job to bring me in, but because it was crowded in the pits, they
took so long to actually let me go. So you think with these cars that it’s
going to be quite difficult to overtake but today there was a difference in
tyres, and we were doing very well, very well, so I was able to really take
the advantage of my car to pass people and it was fantastic.
Q: Great passing manoeuvres and you were very quick either side of that
second pit stop and that unbelievable pass with Kimi just after your pit
stop.
RB: I almost lost my nose because, to be honest, it was with a McLaren some
time ago that I crashed into Abbey, so I was paying attention, because the
guy who was on the inside protecting the line, he can brake a lot earlier
than you think so I pulled away to the right at the right moment, but I
almost lost my nose at that time. It was fair, but it was aggressive. We
went into Bridge like it was one coming out. But it was fair, it was good.
Q: Briefly describe your emotions after winning this race so decisively?
RB: For me it’s a fantastic feeling because I am never down. It’s something
that people think, OK, Michael this, Michael that. I love to be inside a
team where they work like they worked last week to make this car better and
like Bridgestone to make the tyres better. Of course, it is quite hard. But
the last two weeks people have been saying to so many things about first lap
crashing Rubens, this and that, so I hope they shut up now. I overtook a lot
of people.
Q: Juan Pablo, a great drive from you. That second safety car dropped you
way down in the midfield but you followed Rubens up through the field. Great
racing.
Juan Pablo MONTOYA: Yeah, you can see it was a stuck pit stop. I was behind
Ralf when we came into the pits. I just had to wait, wait until Ralf left,
so it was pretty hard. I came out of the pits and I was 13th and Ralf was
like P7 or P8, so it was pretty hard. But I managed to go by people really
quick. After one lap I was two cars behind (him) and I think there was
Firman, then Rubens, then Ralf, like bam, bam, bam and it was pretty good
because when Rubens was fighting with somebody I was just behind so I was
able to catch. When Rubens would pass, next lap I would pass, all the way to
the top. The only mistake I made was when I think a Jaguar blew up on the
back straight and I was on the inside on every lap so I wouldn’t go on the
oil and after the pit stop I thought it should be pretty good now and I
braked on the oil and I just went straight. I think Kimi had the same
problem when I passed him.
Q: How do you think Williams BMW compared against Ferrari today?
JPM: They looked a bit stronger, not that much stronger. From what I
remember in testing and long runs they were a lot stronger. I was pretty
pleased with my pace. I lost quite a bit of time with my mistake but apart
from that he was only a couple of tenths quicker than me, that was all.
Q: Kimi, a spectacular race from you as well. How did you feel in those
opening laps? It looked as if you could pass Jarno if you had the
opportunity.
Kimi RAIKKONEN: Um, yeah. I was just maybe a little bit quicker at the
beginning of the race but I was not able to get close enough on the back
straight to try to overtake him. Then I started to lose the rear grip a
little bit and Rubens was so much stronger out of Club that I wasn’t able to
hold him off. Then came the safety car, and after the re-start I got a
really good re-start and overtook Trulli and got many places after that.
Q: At the second stop you actually stopped four laps earlier than Rubens.
Was that because of the tyre situation or was that always planned?
KR: I don’t know really, because all the plans went a bit different when the
safety car came out and we decided to stop. I was just going as long they’re
going to tell me to come in but it worked out well. The first few laps were
OK and then I dropped the rear tyres a little bit again and it was
difficult.
Q: Just talk us through that incident at Bridge from your point of view?
KR: I knew that because he had overtaken me before after Club corner into
the next braking and I knew that he had much better traction out of that
long right-hander and I tried to hold him off and I was able to for two
corners but then he was beside me in the Bridge and I just tried to go
around the outside but got a little bit on the dirty track and ran slightly
wide and he got past.
Q: And after that, the tyres or the grip went away…
KR: Yeah. At the end of the race, the tyres were OK again but it took so
many laps to come back that it was difficult and then I don’t really know,
maybe it was oil or something else and braking into corner seven, after the
back straight, I touched the brakes and just lost the rear completely and I
was quite lucky to get back on the circuit.
PRESS CONFERENCEQ:
Rubens, that seemed to be hard work but entertaining as well?
RB: When it’s hard work, it’s entertaining, isn’t it. You would rather win a
race like that than being on pole and being in front the whole time. Of
course, I wish I’d had a race like that, it would have been much easier. But
having said that, I had a great race today. It was unbelievable and it was a
very good choice of tyres. Bridgestone did a phenomenal job and I think the
test that I did last week improved so many things for us. We are on the
right route to make the car even better. I’m delighted. I had a car that I
was able to overtake with. I was able to be aggressive as always. In the
last races, like Canada, I lost my nose on the first lap, so people said
something, then I spun on the first lap in Magny-Cours, but I am a trier, I
am someone who is not going to be behind and be happy. Sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn’t. Today I had so many chances to overtake and I was
quite happy that I could make it.
Q: Exactly, and it all seemed to be happening going into Abbey, how did you
work all that out?
RB: It was something that… it’s a work that we have inside the team. The
guys in my team, not just the top guys that we know about, but Gabriele,
Rudi, Zaccaria, we put a really good car together in terms of traction
control, in terms of everything, and the car had phenomenal traction coming
out of Club, the way I always dream of. And the tyres did behave really well
for the whole race. There was a little bit of a time where there was a small
drop and following people closely was quite difficult because obviously you
put a lot of temperature on the tyres at that time so you could spin or not.
It’s something that you have to be careful of. But the car behaved
fantastically and, as I was saying, the overtaking was possible because the
time that I had to look after the tyres I did, and when I had to be
aggressive it was good. I was in a good condition when I came by Kimi the
last time because I had newer tyres, which were doing very well at that
time. So then it was looking fantastic.
Q: What happened at the start?
RB: As I mentioned in the other room, I think that the warm-up lap onto the
grid was too slow, it was slower than any other time before and I knew that
we had to go slow to keep the pack together. But at some point, as far as
I’m concerned, you have to follow the leader and I think Jarno dropped back
too far and when he came onto the grid the pack wasn’t close together. He
accelerated but the pack was too far away and my temperatures were really
down. So I had no grip whatsoever and he knew he could have a good start
from his car. But I think we should pay attention to that, because I think
the group has to go as fast as the guy in front goes.
Q: Did they give you a good reception at the end?
RB: Yeah, as always. I’m someone who believes and yesterday, started second
in qualifying was a difficult moment because you never know if the track is
going to improve or is going to get worse, but pole position was definitely
halfway to get a victory today.
Q: And your emotions on the rostrum?
RB: It’s always very, very hard to listen to the Brazilian anthem and not
cry. I tell you, it’s unbelievable. It’s something that my father and my
family and everyone comes to my mind and you know I’m a guy who lost a lot
of emotions to keep him on the track and to do it right and when I’m
driving, I’m not thinking of anything else. But when I’m on the podium in
first place I still remember my father selling the car for me to be able to
go to races, so it’s just emotions going on.
Q: Juan Pablo, again you did a lot of overtaking, particularly after the
second safety car period. Was the car excellent today?
JPM: Yeah, it was really good. As I said yesterday, I don’t know what
happened in qualifying, where we lost it, because the car was very difficult
to drive. But we knew that from the morning the car was very competitive in
the long runs. It was quite difficult because it was a tight pit stop and I
was behind Ralf so I had to wait quite a long time. I came out of the pits
in P13. It wasn’t pretty, you know, and from then on I had to pass, pass,
pass. It was good because Rubens was caught behind Ralf for a couple of laps
and when I got to them then Rubens managed to go by Ralf, I went by Ralf,
and we had quite a similar pace. He was slightly quicker but not much
quicker than me. He made up ground when I made the mistake down in Abbey. I
was always taking, after the blow-up engine, I was taking the inside line
and after about ten laps I thought it has got to be pretty clean now. I went
on it and the first time I braked I went straight and I had to go to the
inside again.
Q: So are you pretty happy with second?
JPM: Oh, it’s great. Rubens is behind me in the championship and he only
took two points away from me and I am taking points from the guys in front.
That is fantastic.
Q: So you are happy with that?
JPM: Hah, oh yeah!
Q: Kimi, I guess you are a little frustrated because it could have been
second.
KR: Yeah, I don’t really know what happened at that moment. I just went
normally as always in the corner and touched the brake and lost the rear
completely and ran wide. I lost one place but, okay, it was still lucky to
get back on the circuit and score more points than Michael.
Q: When Rubens was behind you the second time having already overtaken you
once at Abbey, what were your thoughts then?
RB: I knew where he was strong, out of Club or whatever you call the long
right-hander, he just had much better traction than I had and I tried to
keep him behind and let him go outside but the next corner he came a bit
tight because I saw that he was inside and I just tried to keep him there
and give him enough space and try to go around. But it was a bit too
slippery and I just ran a little bit wide and lost the first place but he
was just too quick today and I wasn’t able to hold him off.
Q: You were right behind Cristiano for one stint. How quick was he?
KR: He was pretty quick on that point but he was on less fuel and he wasn’t
really holding me off too much and I was not able to overtake him, but all
the rest before him I was able to overtake quite easily and got quite a big
lead at that point but unfortunately it wasn’t enough today.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: Did any of you guys see the crazy guy running on the track and what did
your team tell you on the radio?
JPM: I was going on the straight, I was drafting, I think, Michael and I
moved a little bit to the left and when I saw this guy coming across, oofh,
I was going to, you know, the first thing that came into my head was I was
going to lift and lift my hand, but I said no, nobody is going to lift so I
just went straight on the radio and said, you know, there is a guy running
around on the track! Hah!
RB: If I tell you I never saw him would you believe me? I just saw that
somebody said ‘safety car, safety, car’ and I was so concentrated I never
saw anyone, to be honest. So it is the second race I win with somebody going
on the racetrack. They are going to say it was a Brazilian for sure, and I
still never saw him.
KR: Yeah, I saw him, but he just jumped over the fence and started running
to the circuit but I passed him at that point.
Q: Rubens, I want to understand why the second pitstop of Michael was so
long because he stopped behind you…could you see that?
RB: You are asking me? How would I know? How would I know? I just got out of
the car, did an interview in the room there, came straight up here. How
would I know? I checked now and Michael was fourth. That is the first thing
I know from him.
JPM: It was the same as me. He had a fast pit stop and as Ralf came out in
front Rubens, I came out in front of Michael. That was all.
Q: Kimi, do you think the pace you had today was the maximum for the car.
Was it perfect today?
KR: For sure I would have gone quicker if I had been able to but that was
what I got out of the car today. With the new tyres it is really good and
once the tyres get quite old it was good, they came back, but in the middle
point I was suffering a bit with the rear tyres and I was not able to go so
quickly. But, you know, it is still points more than the guy in front of me
in the championship and one point can make a big difference.
Q: Juan, you are up to third in the championship. How do you rate your
chances?
JPM: Well, probably better than last weekend but, you know, anything can
happen. If the next race I win and Michael DNFs I am four points behind and
if he wins and I DNF he is 24 ahead, so, I don’t know. Just wait and see
what happens.
Q: Rubens, now the world championship is open for you.
RB: The championship is always open. You know, now, let me put it this way,
if I say okay, yeah, I am looking good for the championship and so on,
people are going to start to say oh, Rubens wants to beat Michael in this
and this. I don’t want that to happen. I just want to enjoy myself today. I
am so proud of what the team has done into this weekend and I am proud of
myself to be honest. The last two races have been quite difficult and Friday
has been quite difficult as well. To come back from the spin to win today is
fantastic, so just think of today. I knew I had to do quite well to come out
of today with 49 points. That is all I know, the rest is the rest.
Q: We have all laughed about the guy coming onto the track but it is a
pretty serious safety issue as well. Do you think that is something the
Silverstone authorities have to look at to improve security here?
RB: In a way, if I may say, I am sorry that that happened, even though I
didn’t know it was happening. I think Silverstone has come into a lot of
blame here, people have been saying a lot of things, and I think it is a lot
safer now, in terms of traffic jams, in terms of whatever. It is just a
better situation than any other time. I love the track. I think it can be
safer always but I think it is a really good racing track. Becketts for me
is phenomenal, it is one of the best corners and, if it is not, after Eau
Rouge in Spa, it could be the best one. So with this happening it might be
under a lot of situation but I hope it will be okay because I think we
should be coming back here. It was good racing today anyway.
JPM: It was probably one of the best races of the year for the spectators
and everything if you really think about it. For me it was so much fun
today. I really did enjoy myself.
KR: I think so it can happen anywhere. Any circuit, always some idiot can
jump over the fence and run on the circuit. It has just happened here, it
has happened in Germany. I wouldn’t say they should blame Silverstone but it
just happens there was just a guy who decided to do it just right today and
it was bad luck.
Q: Rubens, you talked about the things that happened in the last two or
three races and you had setbacks on Friday. Do you feel you respond well to
that sort of thing?
RB: I think we have talked about it so many other times. I think I have gone
through bad periods in my career but I have learned from it. When I started
my career with Stewart I definitely was a changed man so we all have bad
times in our lives. We just have to believe in ourselves. The other day
there was a Brazilian asking me: ‘So, How are you going to respond to people
being critical to you?’ I don’t have to respond. I have to believe in myself
and it is what I take to bed that counts. I have to respond to my wife and
to the guys who pay me. That is all. And that is why I believe so much in my
talent and when the time is right you have to grab it with both hands, the
way I did today.
Q: Kimi, with five races left do you still think you can win the
championship given the scoring system doesn’t help?
KR: Yeah, it is still open. We still have a good chance and the seven points
now is one less than before this race and you never know what happens in the
races and it can turn around completely very quickly in the next race. We
are pushing hard as a team and we are serious and we will see if we can
manage, but we do our best and hopefully we can get it back before the end
of the season.
Q: Rubens, ho w does this victory compare to your victories in the past?
RB: Er, the most recent one is always the best one. Hockenheim is going to
be unbeatable because of the way it was. Monza last year was quite good but
I think this one, with the overtaking. And as I said, I think I had a car to
win the race today since the very beginning of the race but through so many
other points I did not manage to be in front at the first corner so it was
much more difficult but at the end much more pleasing, so it ranks highly. |
