Q: Ralf, you won here last year, how do you feel coming here this year?
Ralf Schumacher: Well, certainly great. It's always nice for us to be back here. It's not snowing, so it's perfect conditions. It's a bit early for Nurburgring, but it's certainly enjoyable to be back.

Q: What chances for the race?
RS: You can never tell. It's obvious that this year it's a bit more difficult for us but we keep trying, trying to do our best and we will see what the outcome is.

Q: Now, there have been some management changes announced at Williams - how soon do you expect those to have some effect?
RS: It will take Sam a while. I'm sure Sam will do great things within Williams but there's all the existing structure and things have to be changed. The cars are still the same so you won't turn it around overnight. It will take at least three or four races until we see some slight changes, but the biggest change will certainly be next year.

Q: You think slight changes in three or four races then?
RS: Yes sure. The car will improve, almost certainly things are going to change, but, obviously, you have to ask Sam himself what he's going to do.

Q: What about your own future? Have you got anything to tell us?
RS: Nope. Why? Nothing is decided yet. We are still talking, certainly still waiting for what is happening in our team and then I will see what the outcome is.

Q: Do you see the end of the road in sight, as it were?
RS: Yes. I would consider it quite sure that I will be in Formula One, so that's not a problem, but obviously not where and I will obviously try to be in the best position.

Q: Just going back to last weekend and obviously the incident in the tunnel, how dirty off-line was it?
RS: From looking at it, it looked to be pretty dirty. There were a lot of marbles out there. As I said in Monaco, it was a shame but it wasn't my mistake, it was clearly his own mistake. To blame me - I didn't take it seriously. Obviously losing third in Monaco is not very nice but it wasn't my problem.

Q: Michael, would you have overtaken round the outside - or did you overtake round the outside - in the tunnel?
Michael Schumacher: You sort of know, or you should know, that if you do get off-line there it gets very dirty and very tricky and especially in that place. It's easily flat out for us but there's not that much margin to go around the outside. If you see it, as well, there was a lot of space for Alonso to go further inside because Ralf was moving over very close to the barrier and he didn't need to leave that much space between him and Ralf.

Q: What about your own incident in the tunnel, to keep the tyres warm, the brakes warm and everything else must be difficult particularly when you've got the entire field behind you and they're relying on what you're doing?
MS: Yeah, but this is the point because the guys behind rely on what the guy in front is doing, and that's what you have to watch for and I certainly wasn't watching my mirrors behind because I believed that everybody knows how to accelerate and brake and so it was a bit of a surprise for me. Seeing the pictures, if I had maybe watched in the mirrors then maybe I could have not gone on the normal line but I wasn't expecting him to be there.

Q: I suppose to some extent the one thing you don't want to do is go off-line onto the dirty side as well.
MS: This is quite true but, well, it's history. We can't change it anyway.

Q: What was your reaction to the stewards' conclusion?
MS: I did accept it but probably did not agree one hundred percent.

Q: Is there anything further you can do about it?
MS: I'm sure the GPDA and drivers will discuss certain issues which happened over the weekend and we'll find out how much of a conclusion can be drawn for the future.

Q: Now another story that's emerged is this possibility of Mika Hakkinen coming back. I don't know how much truth there is in it, but do you feel he could still be competitive? Does he lose anything in two years?
MS: I think it will be difficult being completely out of Grands Prix for two years.

RS: But he's gained (suggests weight) from my understanding, hasn't he?

MS: Yeah, he gained, but apparently he's lost it all. He has this natural talent. He will always have that but to come back after a long pause and not doing anything with Formula One - even testing here and there - will be difficult. But I think a lot of people will be very happy - and I would be one of them - to see him back. He has been a great competitor. We'll find out, but obviously we're in the silly season, that's the other point!

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