Europe: Sauber at the Thursday Press Call

Nick and HHF
By Phil Huff (26/06/2003)
June 26 2003

The FIA's Thursday press conference took place at the Nurburgring today, and Sauber Petronas drivers Nick Heidfeld and Heinz-Harald Frentzen were in attendance. Here's what they had to say...

Q: Nick, the Sauber train seems to have run out of steam at the moment. Are you happy with the pace of development? Are you happy with the way things are going?

Nick Heidfeld: No, obviously not. We're not where we want to be. The last two years we've been a lot stronger but we knew before the season, and already for the last two years, that it's going to be tough to compete against these big manufacturers. I think that only shows how good our performance was over the last two years. Some people said that this year's car has been designed completely wrong but I can't agree with that. We definitely made a step forward from last year to this year, but other teams definitely made a bigger step.

Q: What about your own future? How do you feel about next year?

NH: Well, as you say, my contract runs out this year, so I have to look around for next year. I'm confident but I can't tell you right now.

Q: With Sauber?

NH: Well, we are talking to a couple of teams and also I have a good relationship with Peter, with the whole team, I've felt comfortable there for the last two years but it's too early to say anything.

Q: Heinz-Harald, this is your 150th Grand Prix but I hear you're not very excited about this fact.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen: Well, I never count the races. Actually it took me a long time to figure out it really was the 150th Grand Prix. I counted them all together but yes, indeed, it is.

Q: Does it make you feel old, then?

H-HF: No, nothing special. It's a good reason to talk about it and talk about the past and the future and whatever. It's a good moment to talk with journalists about it. It's one of the only reasons!

Q: You've been having a really rotten time of it in the last three races, not only in the races themselves but also in qualifying. What does that do you to your spirit, your morale?

H-HF: I think we are not the fastest at the moment for sure, but we try to keep on fighting and try to do our best in the circumstances we are in at the moment and our main focus is to develop the car a little bit faster. That's our main focus.

Q: But your own problems have been extraordinary - seven laps in the last three races?

H-HF: Yes, it's true, it's a little bit short of mileage. But as I said, I try to do my best, to help the team. We are trying to get the best strategy for the race, to score points. Even though we have got points down to eighth place it is not that easy at the moment and our main focus is on speed at the moment.