Q: It was a very exciting opening lap, quite a lot of incidents going on there, as you predicted. What was it like from your point of view, going into the chicane, coming out of Tosa?
MS: Well, it was very slippery on my side and I was fighting with Juan. It was a bit difficult to keep him behind me and obviously I wanted to avoid him getting by because I knew I was going to get faster, once the first couple of laps got going, and I wanted to stay in touch with Jenson because that was the crucial point, and we were able to.

Q: It turns out that you qualified with a bit more fuel on board; you stopped two laps later than Jenson at that first stop. Do you think that was critical?
MS: I don’t think it is important. I think Jenson put in a very good lap. I didn’t and that is the end result. He deserved pole position and I deserved second position.

Q: Michael, you’ve heard a little bit about what Juan Pablo said but let’s talk about the day from your point of view. Just reflect a little bit on this San Marino Grand Prix, what it means to you, your third straight win here and obviously a great win for Ferrari and an emotional weekend.
MS: Absolutely. More than that, it’s emotional because I’m the ambassador of the San Marino Grand Prix and the State and it’s a home Grand Prix in the pocket where I was able to really excite all our supporters, the tifosi outside. The emotion that’s going on there is really fantastic. It’s a dream come true, to come home after a successful first three races and deliver a dream result - with the exception of qualifying - for the final result.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Michael, congratulations. Your were talking about it being very slippery; do you think that was because of last night’s rain, and it affected you perhaps more than others?
MS: Ooh. Umm. Maybe in a way. For sure the rain washed off the rubber, the temperature being cool and everything together made it a little bit more slippery and it seems like we needed a little bit more time until our tyres got up to temperature and grip, compared maybe to the competitor’s tyres.

Q: But obviously your fourth win out of this year has got to be fantastic; it can’t get any better can it?
MS: No, certainly not. Except maybe leaving out the mistake of yesterday but you can’t always be perfect.

Q: Presumably you were easing up at the end; can you just confirm that?
MS: Yes, certainly. I had quite a gap and I saw Jenson’s pace, I was informed of that on the radio, so I just drove the pace accordingly and eased up.

Q: You’ve heard Juan Pablo’s comments about the first lap; have you got any reply to that?
MS: No.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q. (Jonathan Noble – Autosport): For Michael and Juan, when you are running side-by-side and fighting for position round the corner, can you just clarify what you consider acceptable behaviour and what is unacceptable?
JPM: He said he didn’t see me. He thought I wasn’t there so I don’t know, forgot to look maybe.
MS: I saw his attack on the outside at braking, but then going out of the corner for me…first of all I did not see him, but second, outside around the corner you usually lose ground so I didn’t expect him to be there.

Q. (Ian Parkes – PA News): Juan Pablo, in the earlier press conference you said you didn’t think Michael would get away with what he did. What do you think will happen and what do you expect will happen?
JPM: You look at Indy for example when I just touched with Rubens. I was on the inside and I went onto the grass to try and avoid the accident and we still touched and I got a drive through and that killed my championship really. If it wasn’t for that I could have been world champion last year. He does that and he gets away with it, I think it would be a bit unfair really. I think the rules have got to be for everybody. It doesn’t matter if he drives for Ferrari, if he is called Michael Schumacher or anybody.

Q. (Aidan Lewis – AP): Can I just have a comment from Michael and the other drivers if possible on the fact that this might be the last Grand Prix at Imola?
MS: From my point of view it would be a shame if it really is, but it wouldn’t be the first time we have seen changes happen on Grands Prix coming back into the programme. There is still hope and as long as there is hope I cross my fingers.

Q. (Ian Parkes – PA News): Michael, you’ve described this result as a dream one for you. Have Juan Pablo’s comments soured this is any way?
MS: Not for me.

Q. (Ian Parkes – PA News): To add to that, your first victory here was an unfortunate one with what happened with Ayrton, does this sixth one mean anything to you on the anniversary of his death?
MS: Honestly we come here every year and we think about what happened to Roland (Ratzenberger) and Ayrton. Not because it is 10 years for me doesn’t make it any more special or different.

Q. (Ian Parkes – PA News): Michael, just a follow-up question to yourself. Who do you see as your main rival in the championship? You’ve got a healthy 16-point lead, are you looking at Jenson perhaps to be your biggest rival this season now?
MS: He is fully into it, absolutely.

Q. (Olaf Bachmann – Koelner Stadt Anzeiger): Juan, can you explain your gesture on the last lap to Michael?
JPM: I just said ‘what happened, what were you thinking’. That’s all.
MS: I thought you were congratulating me.
JPM: I never do actually.