Home
Latest
Features
Test Times
Search
K. Raikkonen
F. Massa
L. Badoer
M. Gene
J. Todt
R. Brawn
Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Fiorano
Galleria Ferrari
Past Heros
Ferrari
Formula One
Race Tours
Ferrari Days
FAQ/Info
F2003 GA
F2004
F2005
248 F1
F2007
F1 2008
Grand Prix
Testing
Special Events
Wallpapers
Grid Girls
2008
2007
Points
2006
2005
2004
2003
TPH Club
Forum
Betting
Mailing List
Links
Video/Audio
Live TV Feed
Contact
Profile
 
News Feed |


US GP 29th - 2nd July 2006 - Thursday Press Conference

Length: 4.192 km
Number of Laps: 73 (306.016 Km)
Best Lap: R. Barrichello - 1'10''399 (2004, Ferrari)
Record Pole: R. Barrichello - 1'10''223 (2004, Ferrari)
2005 Pole: J. Truli - 1'10''625 (Toyota)
2005 Podium: M. Schumacher - R. Barrichello - T. Monteiro


Q: Michael, you’ve always managed to be fairly anonymous in the USA; is that still the situation over the last few days?
Michael SCHUMACHER: Yeah, even after racing in the States, it’s still the same, basically. It depends where you go, honestly. There are some places which are a bit different, but generally that’s the case.

Q: So you’ve managed to enjoy yourself over the last couple of days then?
MS: Yeah.

Q: Can we ask what you’ve been up to?
MS: I’ve had a nice ride with some bikes.

Q: We’ve recently heard great optimism, from the team, that we can at some stage beat Renault and yet it hasn’t happened; you haven’t actually led a lap since Spain. Is that optimism well-founded or not, do you feel?
MS: Yup, it is. There is clearly progress happening. If you go back to the races before England, we looked pretty strong and if you see the development we have done it looked optimistic for us, but then obviously the other guys don’t stand still either.

Q: And are you expecting more development in France? Is that going to happen?
MS: We keep on developing. There’s nothing else for us to do. We keep on fighting and see what happens.

Q: You said at the start of the season that it’s all about the rate of development. Have you been surprised at the rate of Renault’s development?
MS: In a way, yes. You should think that we should have more resources available, but then there are two areas of development. You have the tyre development and you have the car development and it depends on what area you compare and you look at.

Q: It was interesting last weekend in that two Bridgestone runners obviously made a mistake in their tyre choice, including your brother. There seemed to be a huge difference in performance just from making that wrong tyre choice.
MS: Well, I’m not involved in what they did and so on. We look at our own situation and we clearly weren’t strong enough, that’s what came out of that.

Q: But here, no one’s got a better record than you or the team: four wins, Ferrari have won five out of the six races, you personally have led every one of those six races, you’ve never finished lower than second. Does that mean anything?
MS: I still have a great record in Canada as well but it doesn’t really mean anything. At the end of the day, you have to look at the now situation and we have to find out whether our package suits the circuit.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Todd Golden – Ontario Tribune Star) Michael, American racing fans take their four-time winners at Indianapolis pretty seriously: Al Unser, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears among them. Do you consider yourself, even though you're in a different racing discipline, part of that Indianapolis fraternity of four-time winners? Do you consider yourself part of that Indianapolis greatness?
MS: I'm not exactly sure of the history of Indianapolis, when it started, how long it is. But Formula One is there just for the years we are here, and I'm not sure if you should really put yourself into that history that much. I'm not considering it too much, no.

Q: (Jim Peltz – Los Angeles Times) Michael, the number of times that you're finishing second being so uncommon given your career, does that frustrate you or give you even more drive to get back to where you were?
MS: No, neither/nor, honestly. It's just part of the game. It's natural that you simply can't win every race, although you wish. No, but last year was occasionally frustrating. But to be second, like the race in Canada actually in the final stages to get second position is some excitement.

Q: (Derek Daly – Speed Channel) Michael, of the panel, you would be the most experienced. With the success that you've had, have you peaked or are you still potentially getting better or are you still learning or do you think you've peaked as a driver?
MS: You never stop learning, absolutely. There is a point where you stop, obviously, gaining speed, natural speed. But that starts very early. After that, it's just experience you take on. it'll never stop, honestly, because Formula One just develops all the time, and you just have to keep track of the development and just be on top of it, and that makes you develop at the same time.

Q: (Derek Daly - Speed Channel) So would a driver with a technical feel, would he potentially have an advantage in Formula One as it is today or is it the instinct-reflex driver? Do you know what I mean by that?
MS: I don't think the reflexes - I mean, I haven't measured it. There is obviously a trade-over when maybe your reflexes slow down and experience comes in. But I only can compare myself against my team mates and I haven't looked to that so far, so...

Q: (Felipe Motta – Radio Panamericana) Michael, tomorrow Germany will play against Argentina. What do you expect of this match? You think it will be possible to watch the match here in the USA during the practice? I don't know if it's before or after.
MS: I don't know what time it is but if I have time, I will certainly watch it, absolutely. I think if we go through that one, then we have done already 50 percent or maybe more than 50 percent because Argentina is one of the top teams. Being able to beat them, we're looking good.

Back



 

 

This site is not an official Ferrari site. Ferrari™ is a trademark and copyright material of Ferrari S.p.A. Any type of publication, copying, broadcasting or retransmission of the information or pictures without prior permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. Copyright © 1997-2006 The Prancing Horse.