Q: Sliding towards the end of the lap, does that have any meaning for the race tomorrow in terms of how the handling is going to go?
RB: In terms of race pace we were quite good this morning and it was on the new tyres we had to make a compromise but on the used set it seems that the car is just getting better so that is quite promising for tomorrow.

Q: Rubens, it was an interesting pre-qualifying - what happened there?
RB: Well, we heard that it could well rain in the middle of the session so, I mean, what is the point of not going out and show everyone that we were intending to go a little bit earlier into the session? So we had to go out, we had a plan to slow down but at least I think we have done, in a way, you know, because there was a strategy behind it. I mean, with people starting to brake in the middle of the line and you were getting beat by the others. If that was the strategy you were showing it to people. At least we did it in a good way.

Q: Ross Brawn said he didn’t think at one time you would be on pole so was second a bit of a surprise for Ferrari?
RB: Not really. For me I was really feeling good the whole way through. The car started to slide a little bit more towards the end of the lap and I finished on a 20.0 on sector three while Kimi did a 19.6, so that was where I lost, you know.

Q: Do you think you lost out much by going relatively early?
RB: Well, no. Remember, I qualified on pole by being first (out in the session) last year so I don’t think it makes a huge difference in this racetrack.

Q: And thoughts about the race itself?
RB: Very good. The car has been going quite well on full tanks and everything so the tyres have been holding on quite well. We need to see the weather, how it will be, and hopefully we can try to have a good race, try to get the maximum out of it and who knows, to win the race would be lovely.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Andrew Benson – F1 Racing) Rubens, can I just clarify – were you saying that you running wide at Vale was a strategically deliberate move by you to slow yourself down?
RB: Yes.

Q: (Andrew Benson – F1 Racing) And was Michael’s spin, the third spin within ten yards, the same?
RB: You ask him!

Q: (Cedric Voisard – Le Figaro) Question to all of you, back on Matt’s question, do you think the slow cars should be punished today under the article 151c?
RB: If I may say, instead of talking about this - because it won’t get anywhere - we should look to make the format a little bit better because I thought it was a shame, for example, to see (Olivier) Panis going slow and not knowing (Felipe) Massa was coming. That was something that it did affect one driver, so if you are going to do it better, you are going to do it better for everyone. The question of going slower or not slower, I don’t think you are going to know. I mean, even if I braked late and I was actually taking measures for the next session then it didn’t work and I was, of course, thinking if I had made a mistake that was okay. But I don’t think that is the point.

Q: (Juha Paatalo – Financial Times Deutschland) Rubens, obviously you have won here, you have been blisteringly fast all weekend and you have looked like you are really enjoying yourself. Every year we come here there are always questions about the future of the British Grand Prix. How much do you enjoy this circuit and how sad would you be if we didn’t come back next year or the year after?
RB: Very sad, in fact. I think that it is a great Grand Prix. A lot of people attend the Grand Prix so we have no problems there, we used to have a lot of problems on the traffic and it does rain here – can you do something? I don’t think so. I like the track, Becketts for me is one of the best corners in the world and I just enjoy being here. It is going to be a shame if we are not racing here because even though it is difficult to overtake, it is difficult to overtake almost everywhere in this World Championship anyway.

Q: You say it is difficult to overtake but how many overtaking manoeuvres did you do last year at this Grand Prix?
RB: Yeah, but I had a good car and if you have a good car just like I had in Magny-Cours then you end up overtaking people. But I think overtaking here is actually easier than it is in Magny-Cours.