Schumacher:"We Both Could Have Won.."

Todt pointed out that “today, clearly, we were the quickest on the track, but unfortunately the final result was zero points.” But he was also philosophical. “As I said in Malaysia it’s a tough game. We just have to accept that and move forwards. I think on one side it’s easier to be a good player when you have the right package. I think it’s probably more frustrating when you’re three seconds and you wonder how you are going to get it back. But saying that, we love our job, we are motivated but we love winning. Today we lost a good opportunity.”

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect was that Rubens Barrichello was leading when his engine suddenly cut out. “He had a fuel system problem,” explained Todt. “We lost the telemetry right from the beginning and then we had some misfiring with the engine. Then it came back again but we didn’t have the thing completely under control. Our data was OK, but we weren’t aware about what was exactly the fuel problem in the system and we still don ’t know yet. We’re going to analyse it when we are back at the factory.”

Todt was very disappointed that other teams were allowed to change front and rear wing settings for wet conditions prior to the race, as Michael Schumacher had taken a gamble with his wing settings which affected his qualifying performance. It was just one aspect of the new rules that upset Todt. “Yesterday Michael knew that he was taking a chance,” said Todt, “taking into account the weather prediction and clearly, on one side, I feel that some competitors did change the engine for good reasons, because they had evidence and it’s clear on that. Some may be happy, but that was something completely against the new rules.”

However, after all the accidents in the race, Todt admitted that the new rules, which allowed only one wet tyre, had to be revised. “I simply feel that we should go back to last year’s rules where the teams were allowed to have two wet tyre specifications. To be condemned to use only one wet tyre is not good but it was voted – not unanimously as some people said – but it was voted through the Formula One Commission which I feel was a big mistake. We were completely against that. Unfortunately the tendency was in favour of one specification of tyre and I think we saw the problems with that today.”

Todt admitted that it will be important to bounce back at Imola. “Is it important, but you know it was important here, more particularly when we know that our main competitor so far is scoring a lot of points.” Todt wouldn’t confirm that Ferrari will be using two of the new F2003-GAs at Imola, but said “hopefully we will have two. Normally we will have two unless the testing next week (at Mugello and Fiorano) goes completely against what we feel. It’s not yet sure.”

As for Michael Schumacher, he had a glass of wine at the end of a race that had gone so badly and then a chat with the race doctor, Sid Watkins, on the condition of Fernando Alonso. After this it was off to the airport as fast as possible for the long journey home. The third race in this championship will not remain long in Michael’s memory. He had not had to retire since Hockenheim 2001, a long time ago. And as the other Ferrari driver, Rubens Barrichello, could not finish the race either (on his home circuit), the atmosphere in the pits was not too festive. ‘It really is an extreme let down.’ Michael commented before his departure. ‘That goes for both of us. We could both have won the race; we are convinced of that. I feel really sorry for Rubens; the same thing happened to him last year too. I don’t know, but it seems that his home races always go badly.’

To many observers, this year is not going well for Ferrari; Michael, though, puts this in perspective: ‘We shouldn’t dwell on it too much. After only three races there is still a long way to go. There are still thirteen races left and anything is possible. Clearly, things haven’t gone well for us until now, but in my opinion, the gap between McLaren and us is not that big. We would be ill advised to start panicking now. The fact that Kimi Raikonnen won the Brazilian Grand Prix is obviously worse for us than it would have been had Giancarlo Fisichella won but things are not so bad. I see things in quite an objective way: for me this season was always going to be more difficult than last and I again want to underline that this is something that we have always pointed out. I don’t want to make excuses; I want only to state that for me it was clear that we would have had to battle all the way. And battle we will; I don’t have a problem with that.’

It is a good thing given recent events that both Michael and Rubens will be out testing the new single-seater to the max at Mugello this week. It is true that the ‘old’ car is still competitive but the new F2003-GA has proved to be even quicker. ‘When the new car is ready we will use it,’ said Michael, ‘even if it would not have changed the result at Interlagos. I am looking forward to working this week because it really is fun driving and developing the F2003-GA.’

First though, Michael will be stopping by the Fiat stand and the Lipsia motor show.