PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Rubens, 11th to second; you picked up three places at the start as well. Tell us about the opening lap?
RB: Well, the opening lap was great fun. I was able to have a good start. I think I overtook Button at the word go and then I was able to have a fantastic first and second corner and I saw a Jordan beside me which I thought was doing very well at the start. But you know you have to push but you have to conserve the tyres as well. I was able to overtake Villeneuve, because otherwise I would have lost my whole race behind him. So my race was really good. The only problem I had was after 15 laps I started to lock the rear brakes very badly and I reported it to the team and unfortunately I lost my brake balance. My brakes went all to the rear so I was able to change a few things on the car but the car was like a go-kart: lucky I won the race in go-karts in December, so I was able to keep on going. With the adjustment, the car became quite OK although I was still locking the rear brakes a bit.

Q: In terms of strategy, what would you change? Do you think you could have perhaps got ahead of Giancarlo in any way?
RB: The only thing I would change was probably the Friday (he means Saturday). I would ask for a little bit less water when I go out (for qualifying). It’s all I would change. The strategy was really good. I don’t think we could have changed that. This morning the track was really really slippery. I could have done more. Actually with the gaps that we had I was lucky that I even picked up a position. The strategy and the tyres were fantastic. I think the tyres could have done another race, so very good. But please don’t do that to us! It was fun but not that fun!

Q: You pushed Giancarlo very hard right at the end there. Was there even a little bit more?
RB: I had in mind that you have to push. We’re all here to win. If we’d got very close to him right on the last lap it wouldn’t have meant anything because getting close and overtaking is another matter. Fernando was coming very rapidly as well, even though I dropped the revs. You know you have to think forward to the next couple of weeks: 35 degrees in Malaysia so you have to pace everything. But I was pushing. If I had a chance to catch him, I would do, but obviously he saved a lot of tyres right at the beginning so he was in better shape than we were.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: Giancarlo, Rubens. We have two of the smoothest drivers with Formula One tyres first and second. Could this be the key to the championship?
RB: I hope so! (Laughter)

GF: Me too!

RB: I guess it’s really difficult to answer that in full because we didn’t have a proper qualifying with all the effects, really, so this morning everyone was pretty much cruising, so I guess we’re going to have a bit more of an opinion of what it’s going to be like in Malaysia. Obviously, if you can go fast and save the tyres, that’s will be a big plus.

Q: (Ken Cavanagh – Triple M) And one for Rubens: how much more is going through your head at the back end of a race now, thinking ‘do I shred the tyres, do I save the engine?’ The tyre rule is meant to encourage racing towards the end of the race, yet the engine rule has the potential to stop you going for it.
RB: That’s right, but at the end of the day, if you start to put plus and minuses or doubts in your mind that’s when you start to go backwards and you definitely have to save the engine by turning the revs down but you’re still pushing the right foot as much as possible. After the last pit stop, there was another 15 laps to go, but you don’t have to save the tyres as much. If you have a small flat spot that might be no problem. I saw Montoya really having a big one right on the first lap so I knew he would have a good ride to the end. That was a much bigger problem than the one that I had so I was pushing and thanks to Bridgestone I was able to push right to the end. We have a car that is still very competitive. We have a small disadvantage because we think our new car is faster and having said that, we have to score as many points (as possible) and if we have the chance to win, we will do.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) I would like to ask everybody if, with the new rules, it is impossible to come up from the back of the grid, because we saw Michael today in a struggling position and even Kimi Raikkonen. And what’s your opinion about the McLaren because I think we received a bad feeling about McLaren. They came here as favorites for the race with you and disappeared during the weekend.
RB: It’s just a plus that I think the cars are no easier to drive behind another car. It’s as simple as that. The cars are sliding a little bit more and to follow somebody is just as difficult as last year.