Q: Michael, a strange day for you I suspect. What were your thoughts as qualifying unfolded as you could see Rubens and the Williamses not being as quick as they should be?
Michael Schumacher: I saw the Williamses obviously. I didn't know exactly what was Rubens's position. I got the time but I couldn't relate the position with the time. In qualifying, it doesn't matter, honestly, you just go for it, you maximise your opportunities and you see what comes out. That was third position today and we hope it's good for us. Obviously we hope our strategy works out at the end of the day, but that's what we find out tomorrow.

Q: You're behind the two Renaults in qualifying; what are your thoughts about the two Renaults in qualifying?
MS: Well, the single lap is obviously quite an interesting thing, there's no doubt about that. The other thing is like we had this morning, we had a problem on the gearbox side, and it doesn't allow you to make any mistakes and we were able to fix things thanks to the great works of the mechanics, they have been able to fix the problem. But imagine that you have another problem and then you can't even do your qualifying, whereas in the past you had other possibilities, you had more time available and you didn't have just one run available. So in this respect it is give and take and the way it is, we have to use it and maximise it.

Q: But if it does turn out tomorrow, if, that Renault are on a very different strategy to you, how will you feel about not being on the pole?
MS: At the end of the day you care obviously what happens in the race, that is the most important thing. If you can make it to the top in qualifying, and reach pole position, it's fantastic but obviously the way rules are, you have to concentrate very much on the race. I don't know what the Renault guys have done. Obviously they've done a good job, otherwise they wouldn't be on pole. I don't want to take any credit from them but at the end of the day we will wait and find out.

Q: Michael, you seemed sort of amused when I was watching you in the unilaterals just now as though you are perfectly happy even though your crown here, your pole position crown, has been taken away. So you're fairly happy with third?
MS: I don't call it my crown, first of all. I'm quite happy for those guys, honestly, for their achievements. That's one point. The other point is at least we hope to have the right strategy and it will pay out for us tomorrow. But, maybe it's wrong.

Q: Were you pretty happy with your lap?
MS: Basically, yes. I didn't have any problem in the lap itself. Just to say the boys have done a great job, in getting the car ready.

Q: Did you alter it between the warm-up and your lap?
MS: There was not time for alterations, we just had to get it ready. We had a problem on it and we were able to fix it.

Q: So the problem was during the warm-up, the gearbox problem?
MS: Yes.

Q: So that was totally cured?
MS: Yes.

Q: How do you feel about one lap qualifying these days?
MS: As I said last time, when you're in the lap you go for it, you concentrate and before you have a weird feeling. You know it's only one possibility. At least, for me, when I'm in it I'm in it and I just do the job and don't think there is no other chance.

Q: What about the track conditions? The heat changed quite a lot.
MS: I would be a little bit careful on your numbers because I have very often seen that the FIA temperature number is not corresponding to the true numbers we measure with proper measuring systems. So I don't know what is exactly the difference because it sounds very high. But, naturally, the cooler the circuit is the better it is so it should have been an advantage, rather for me and probably Jarno and, to be fair, to Alonso.

Q: Bearing in mind that Ferrari is the fastest car and you're the number one driver, with the new system do you still think you need pole positions to win races in the future?
MS: That's what we have to prove. Obviously, we are in a bad position now. He is in pole position and I am third so we'll find out tomorrow whether we still can win or we can't. As you said, we have a very good car and we have good opportunities. Basically, to be first, first you have to finish, and we have to do this.

Q: If this is how the new system works, do you think you can keep on winning like all those years before this?
MS: I'm very sure we will find a much more competitive and closer season this year and I think Australia, to some degree, indicated that, and it won't be as lonely for us as it has been last year due to the simple fact that the others will do a better job.

Q: Michael, a question about the new system, which adds a very nice note of unpredictability which has a very nice result like today, but I have heard some suggestions that some teams might even run with low fuel and soft tyres, even at the risk of handicapping themselves in the race in order to get good grid positions. I wonder if you'd be interested in changing the system so we can see the weight of the cars when you come onto the weigh-in bridge immediately after qualifying?
MS: You know, I think it would be far too boring for you guys because then you couldn't do any speculation. Now you have room for speculation (laughter).

Q: The question is to Michael. Last year, Williams, with Michelin tyres, did just one pit stop, your brother won the race, and you did two pit stops. Do you think this year you will be prepared to make just one pit stop if it's faster?
MS: I think last year we were simply down in performance of the tyres, I think, in all honesty. I think we have a good car, I think we proved that in Australia, but on the tyre side we couldn't cope with the performance of our competitor which I think is different this year. We have brought a better tyre here which holds up very well, but we have to prove it tomorrow.

Q: Yesterday, Bernie Ecclestone said that he doesn't like the new qualifying system and maybe there will be some changes mid-season. All of you, what's your opinion?
MS: (to others) Be careful.
MS: I don't know the proposal of Mr E. Simply to say that he wants to change, maybe we should know what are his ideas.

Q: There is a lot of feeling amongst even the teams themselves that to have this unknown as to how much fuel everyone is running is not transparent enough for the spectators, that it isn't necessarily the fastest car on pole position.
MS: Yes, true. I don't think it matters very much if we express our opinion honestly because it's other people taking the decisions. In all honesty we have expressed our opinions all winter and in the end there is a decision from someone and we have to respect this.