Jean
Todt:
"It was an incredible race! Michael delivered a perfect
performance despite suffering with brake problems for much of the
race. Rubens also did a good job. When he pitted on lap 2 to change
the nose, damaged in a collision with Alonso, we changed his strategy,
allowing him to bring home valuable points in the race for the Constructors'
Championship. Today's was the sixtieth win since I joined Ferrari
and probably one of our most hard won victories."
"The team did an excellent job in terms
of strategy and during the pit stops. Also vital was the help which
we received as usual from our technical partners, especially Bridgestone
who provided very competitive tyres and Shell, with a fuel which
was ideally suited to the characteristics of this track. We have
reached the halfway point of the season, leading both championships.
We can expect the second half to be very tough because the opposition
is very strong. We think we have all the elements in place to reach
the targets we set ourselves at the start of the year."
Michael
Schumacher:
"This was the ideal result at the end of a very tough
and tight race. I had to be careful to look after the brakes so
I did not push too hard at first, just maintaining my pace after
a very good start. I was able to stay close to Ralf and only really
pushed hard in the period around the pit stops. There was a time
when I thought I was going to pass Ralf, but then his tyres seemed
to improve and I could not get by. But the mechanics did a great
job in the pit stop to put me in the lead. Of course, it is important
to be leading the championship in what I have always said will be
a hard season with a tough fight to the end. As for having 999 points,
in Germany that number means you have to buy everyone a drink, so
we will see what happens tonight!"
Rubens
Barrichello:
"My race was conditioned by what happened at the start.
We were all very close and, with Webber on the outside of me, I
touched Alonso under braking and damaged the front wing. As I had
to stop to change it, we changed the strategy. Then, during the
race, I had problems with the brakes and also the gearbox electronics.
On top of that, after I lost the left turning vane the car was no
longer perfectly balanced. Despite all that, I was able to control
Raikkonen when he closed up, thus managing to finish fifth. All
in all, I can be happy with the final result as I was fifth on the
grid, but virtually last after two laps."
Ross
Brawn:
"This was one of the best races I have ever seen.
I am delighted with Michael's win and it is a shame about Rubens,
as he too could have been up with the front runners. Michael did
a very good job of controlling the race despite brake wear problems
right from the early stages. We breathed a sigh of relief when we
got to the chequered flag! The strategy worked well, but the deciding
factor was the way Michael drove." |
