Q & A with Barrichello - 11th June 19:11pm GMT

ITV pitlane report Ted Kravitz spoke to Rubens head of the Canadian GP.

You and Michael Schumacher are more or less level on points – how does Ferrari play the championship now?
Rubens Barrichello: We just have to play it as it comes. If you were to win Montreal and Indy, you’d be looking good going to France – but that’s supposing things will change.

Renault and McLaren look very strong, but you just have to play it race by race. I had a good race in the Nurburgring – I could really treat the tyres how I wanted and go flat out.

If I’d been a bit ahead [in qualifying] I think we would have had the tyres to win the race. We’re still climbing – just not at the top.

Ted: Has Michael given up on this year’s championship?
RB: I don’t know. You think about championships as a big picture, but you still have to take them race by race.

Look at me in Germany 2000 – I was 18th on the grid. I could have said – just forget about this race, get some points and go home – but all of a sudden I won the race! So you can never tell.

I don’t think Michael is allowed to think that the championship is gone. Anything can happen.

Ted: What will be the deciding factor here – Engines?
RB: To be honest, the asphalt. The new track surface will be the big story.

Because you choose the tyres with data from previous years.

But now the asphalt has changed and you have 2 types of tyre to choose and only 2 sets of tyres to run, so I think the new track will be the story of the weekend.

Ted: What about your future – will you see out your career at Ferrari?
RB: That’s 50-50. As long as Ferrari and I are in love and we believe in each other’s work, then we can keep going.

But I say 50-50 because there is life outside Ferrari and anything can happen. As it happened in the past – I talked to other people, Ferrari talked to other people, but I don’t think there is anyone else doing a better job than Ferrari right now.

I’ll keep smiling and see what things come to me.