Q: What have you done here to cope with the extreme conditions and is it the ultimate test for the rest of the year?
RB: Well, we have the benefit of last year’s car so in terms of cooling and all that side it is all pretty well taken care of, so we have no surprises there. I think it is the first race where tyre wear can become an issue and so we have been conscious of that. This race last year, we couldn’t have done on one set of tyres whereas Melbourne last year was comfortable on one set. So it’s the first race we’re facing under new rules where we have got to manage that situation and I suspect it could be on Sunday an issue at the end of the race. I am not sure how conservative everyone will be, but it is so difficult to predict on a Friday or a Saturday what wear rates you are going to get on a Sunday. That will depend on lots of variables that you cannot predict or don’t have under control. So I think it is going to be an interesting weekend from that aspect and the whole scenario this year of trying to evaluate tyre wear is going to be a big factor for us.

Q: Ross, The new car is scheduled for Spain. Is that still happening?
RB: We have an option to bring it to Bahrain. A lot will depend on this weekend and a lot on next week, which is the first week the racing drivers will get to drive the car because Luca Badoer has been driving it in testing so we don’t have an opinion. He is very positive about the car, but I would like to hear what Michael and Rubens say about the car before we make a decision. So, we are testing next week. We could if we wanted to stretch it, take it to Bahrain and it will depend on our competitiveness this weekend whether we feel the new car could have made a difference to whatever results we get this weekend and what the drivers say about the car next week. Around the middle of next week, we will have to make a decision because the car will have to leave for Bahrain next weekend. So, there could be a scenario this weekend where we are not competitive, but the car would not have made much difference because, obviously, tyres are so significant and if we are a long way off on the tyres this weekend, I am not sure the car would make a difference. If we lose the race, and feel the difference could have been made up by the car, then it could accelerate the introduction of the car so we will see what happens this week and then see what the drivers think of the new car and then make a decision.

Q: Did that have a bearing on why you didn’t change the engine on Michael’s car?
RB: Partly, yes. It’s because, obviously, if we had changed it, it would have made it more difficult. We wouldn’t have had the option to take the new car for him to Bahrain. But the engine that got a little bit warm when stuck in the gravel… it was nothing too severe… All the engines of all the cars got hot because of the restart so the temperatures in the gravel were no worse than they were at the second start in Melbourne. So, we weren’t particularly bothered. It could have been an option. So, we didn’t do it, to give us the option to run the new car in Bahrain.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Mark Hughes – Autosport) Ross, from your simulations so far, what do they suggest is the margin of the 05 car over the 04B?
RB: Well, with both simulation and track work it’s between a half and one second. Yeah, that’s the number.

Q: (Anthony Rowlinson – Autosport) Question for Ross: Michael didn’t have the best start to his championship campaign in Melbourne. Do you think he’s got the fight in him to start from the back foot as it were, for the next 18 races?
RB: Yeah. I’m sure he has and it’s given him a bit of extra incentive and when you know him, you see the signs. He arrived this weekend… he’s been on the ‘phone during the testing of the new car. One day I had a call from him and I was trying to work out where he was because it was a strange time of day and it was 2am in Thailand or wherever he was. He was very keen to know about the new car. He’s been pretty punchy this weekend and determined to get back on the points trail. I just see the normal commitment and determination that Michael always has so no doubt about it. Circumstances may be outside of his control, and it would be disappointing to leave this weekend without some points for him, but I don’t think it would be for lack of effort on his side and I think it’s a good challenge for him that he relishes.

Q: (Mike Doodson) A question for all of you: the president of the international federation has been dropping hints or perhaps a little more strongly suggesting that a new Formula One in the future would benefit from, he suggests, a 90 per cent reduction in down-force and the possibility of a return to big rear tyres. I’m interested to know from you technical guys whether it really is possible to recreate the cars of 30 years ago or would you guys find the missing 90 percent of downforce in 10 minutes?
RB: I don’t know that we’re trying to recreate what went on 30 years ago, I don’t think that’s the motive because I think just to look back and say ‘how wonderful it was then, let’s go back’ is not the best way to approach it. I think there is some very clear evidence that the reason it’s difficult to overtake in Formula One is because for a car following the car in front, the aerodynamics are spoilt by following the car in front, so when a large percentage of the grip of the car is provided by aerodynamics then by very definition it’s very difficult for two cars to follow each other. That makes overtaking more difficult. So there have been discussions about trying to cut the down-force down to a level that would minimize that, or reduce it. It would still keep the cars fast by increasing tyre grip. That has some possibly beneficial side effects because if you spin the car when you normally lose the aerodynamic performance you’ve still got the tyre grip so cars would slow down more quickly. The difficulty for all of us is that for as long as I can remember being in Formula One we’ve followed this Holy Grail of aerodynamics and it’s a huge cultural shift for people in Formula One and that’s why it’s quite difficult for us to take a balanced view. We’ve all invested a huge amount in wind tunnels, we’ve all got major aerodynamic programmes running and the prospect of reducing them, or reducing the importance of them is not very palatable, but I think if it’s far enough in the future, Formula One owes it to itself and its followers and supporters to have a proper look and see what sort of cars we should have in three or four years time and try and put to one side for a moment our cultural difficulties. I think there’s a lot of good reason why high tyre grip and low down-force could provide a better racing formula.

Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) To the four of you who have not a third car on Fridays: what is now the use of Fridays and in which way should it be changed in the future?
RB: I think it’s a gross anomaly in that, as Sam said, it was intended to give some commercial benefit to the less well-off teams to enable them to sell a third car for a Friday. And to have a team of the calibre of McLaren or last year BAR having the benefit of a third car on a Friday is a nonsense. I don’t agree with it. Particularly with the regulations we have now, it’s a huge benefit. I don’t know how many laps McLaren did today, but they can run round with an engine that’s not going to be used, they can run a reasonable number of sets of tyres and it doesn’t make any sense. I can’t see the logic in it, so it’s something, which to me is just a piece of nonsense.

Q: (Mike Doodson) As a follow-up to that question, Mr Ecclestone has suggested that we all stay here on Monday and use that as a test session, and then cut down on other testing. What do you think of that idea?
RB: I’ve had a bellyful of Formula One by Sunday night. (Laughter) If it’s cut down, it can be cut down without Monday testing. No seriously, the drivers are hopeless on a Monday. The days when we used to have a Monday testing after a race, the race drivers were a waste of time. That’s why we didn’t do it in the end. Monday was the first day to be cut out of the test schedule when we agreed limits on testing a few years ago.

Q: (Anthony Rowlinson – Autosport) Ross, just a technical question for you: obviously this year the 2005 car will be the first car that hasn’t been specifically designed by Rory Byrne. I wonder if you would just give us some background on how that technical transition is being managed and if it’s making any difference to the way the team is working?
RB: It’s not a huge difference. It’s been a pretty gradual process, Aldo Costa’s involvement. Aldo’s always had a strong involvement with all the Ferraris since I’ve been there. Rory’s a fantastic concept and he used to let Aldo take care of the detail. So Aldo’s been pretty involved with all the Ferraris. For the last couple of years Aldo’s had a major input or a bigger input into the concept of the car and this year Rory stepped back and provided a safety net to make sure Aldo didn’t trip over and he doesn’t seem to have. He’s done a very good job with this new car and Rory, I guess, is going off into a general retirement. I don’t think he’ll ever quite leave Ferrari. I think his heart will be at Ferrari for a very long time and we’d love him to stay involved in some capacity or other but it’s been a gradual process. The two of them get on very well. They share philosophies and we’re very lucky in that they both have an excellent relationship, so it’s been an easy process and I don’t think you’ll notice the join, quite honestly.

Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) Now that the season has started, and nine of the teams have self-imposed testing limits, a question to all five of you: how much of an advantage is it to Ferrari to be able to basically test as much as they want?
RB: Well, it’s a big topic, Dan, as you can imagine. We wanted to find a solution. We don’t want to be at odds with our fellow teams, but we had a difficult situation, the only sensible team on Bridgestone’s and a team that has invested, over the past few years, in testing facilites. We have two of our own test tracks, which we’ve invested a lot of money in. Nobody else has those facilities, so we were in a fairly unique position and we simply couldn’t find a compromise. We tried to offer some compromises, but they weren’t acceptable to the other teams and their compromises were not acceptable to us. It’s an unfortunate situation because we would have very much liked to have found a solution. I saw some data the other day, which Bridgestone had generated, where we’ve done 20 per cent of the test mileage of the Michelin teams, and it’s a very steep learning curve on the tyres at the moment, and that’s pretty significant. I think as the tyres level off, as the learning curve levels off on the tyres, then maybe it will be less significant. But with these tyres, we’re having to do a lot of mileage to evaluate them, because you’re into studying the wear patterns, studying the wear projections, and if you look at testing now, a lot of it is pounding round doing mileage. We couldn’t allow ourselves to be disadvantaged by being the only runner on Bridgestone tyres, because we get no help from – with all due respect – we get no help from Jordan or Minardi, so it was impossible to find a compromise between the teams. So I don’t think it’s an advantage, but perhaps my colleagues will disagree, because we have to do all the Bridgestone running and there’s no one else doing it for us.

Q: (Heinz Pruller – ORF) There’s a new team in Formula One, it’s an Austrian team, Red Bull. I would like your own personal view of the team, what you like, what you dislike, the pluses and the minuses, and how far this new outfit can go?
RB: I think it’s a good thing for Formula One. Eddie was struggling a bit, and it’s never nice to see somebody struggling. Sorry, Jaguar were struggling, but the same thing applies. It’s never nice to see teams struggling, and to see teams with a fresh impetus like Red Bull have got is a good thing. I think in this whole scenario of cost saving, it’s very difficult to control what the top teams spend. I think it’s impossible because we spend what we can get. I think that what’s important is that we make Formula One viable for teams like Red Bull and teams like Jordan was or is going to become and Minardi, make sure that Formula One is viable for those teams and that they can put up a respectable performance and make a good impression in Formula One, and certainly Red Bull seem to be doing that. I think it’s a very positive sign and the nature of Red Bull probably means they are going to bring a little bit of a different character to Formula One, I certainly hope so, because it would benefit from that. Seeing David Coulthard openly interviewed is certainly more entertaining than it used to be. I think it’s a very positive thing.

Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) To all of you: given the huge amount of work on Sundays, did you find difficulties in organisation in Melbourne?
RB: I think because it was new to us, though we’d had the forced qualification in Suzuka, it was a little bit tricky but we’ll cope. So it’s not a big deal and not that different to when we used to have warm-ups on a Sunday.