Q: Michael, you're obviously one of the championship contenders; how much of an advantage is it that in that you've been in this situation before?
MS: We'll find out. I wouldn't say that it's a big advantage honestly because in the end, those guys there are good enough to do the job otherwise they wouldn't be where they are so I don't reckon it's a big thing. If it's transformed into lap time, it might, on occasions, on strategic occasions, help but we'll have to find out.

Q: Three years ago, in the year 2000, this race was very much a turning point for you and you always attributed a certain amount of it to the tifosi. How much are you looking for a repeat, how much can you see the same thing happening again?
MS: As you say, it looks very similar in a lot of senses and I just hope that it ends very similarly. The support of the tifosi is obviously very important for us. We know we have a lot of that and we would like to give back something that they have given us over all the years.

Questions from the floor

Q: Michael, this is a crucial weekend for you with your lead at just one point. Is this the tightest race you can remember and do you genuinely fear that this is a championship that you could lose?
MS: I think it was tighter in 2000. It was the other way around, I was not even leading the championship and I won it. So, three races to go, it is a tight competition and I am very optimistic.

Q: For all five guys, when your tyres are working great it is great, when they are working bad it is not so much fun. Would you prefer we had one spec tyre only in F1 so you all got the same tyre?
MS: For me, any sort of improvement you can have as a race driver you look forward to. You simply like to go faster, especially in the tyre side you have the biggest potential to do this. So the testing of that is very interesting because you really get out with new tyres all the time and try something and you have immediate response. I am quite in favour of that.

Q: Michael, next year's calendar was published this morning with Spa back and the first European race of the season is going to be the Nurburgring. What are your thoughts on that?
MS: Ooops, take your snow jackets with you! Obviously Spa is no surprise to hear that is back, the other information is a surprise but maybe we will finally have a chance to use our rain tyres then. I think it is going to be interesting to have new places such as Bahrain and Shanghai, where we can experience new circuits. I am really looking forward to that.

Q: Michael, what was your personal reaction when you saw the photographic evidence of the Michelin tyre and Juan Pablo, what was your reaction when you were told that Michelin were going to have to come up with a new tyre very quickly?
MS: The only thing I was thinking was if that would have been the other way around, from the media side, if Ferrari would have had those tyres the story would have been very interesting to see. It has been realised, it has been looked after, it has been dealt with. I race and that is what is mainly important. Obviously I would like to race under the same conditions and that is why we raised the point and now that is the case.

Q: To Juan Pablo and Michael. In this race, is it your opinion that there could be team orders?
MS: We haven't had any team orders so far and I don't expect any.

Q (Martin Brundle): Michael and JPM, what are team orders in your view? I'm not sure I understand exactly where the line is between team orders and team tactics as we move towards the final part of the championship? Do you know?

Q: Michael, do you know where the cross-over is?
MS: Mmm. Not really, no. I don't know how you would interpret David and Raikkonen in Silverstone.

Q (Martin Brundle): Are you asking me?
MS: Yup.

Q Martin Brundle: Good question. I personally said at the time that I thought that was team tactics. For me, it was an obvious thing to do, when two cars are on a different strategy but I think that's the problem we are going to face as we move in. Quite clearly it would be easy to slow down a pit stop or if there's something pre-determined before the race, it's an obvious thing to do. It's always happened in the history of Formula One, but is it something you're nervous of as drivers, is it something that's discussed in the team motorhomes?
MS: No, the only thing is that whatever is maybe done it might be interpreted in different ways and that's the sort of thing which is going to be interesting to see.

Q: Michael, a second one if I may: Ralf may end up helping, through team tactics not team orders, Juan Pablo to beat you in the championship by a cruel twist of irony. How do you thing that's going to be psychologically for you and for him?
MS: I think that's his job. I would do exactly the same if I was in his position. He does his work for Williams, not for me.