Your second win in a row here starting second this time. Talk us through your race.
Felipe Massa: It didn't change anything starting second because we had a good a start. I think Robert didn't have a good start and I passed him. Then the race was pretty difficult in the beginning because there was a lot of oil on the track. We almost went off, me and Robert, and it was pretty difficult. During the race the car was just very good. I didn't push completely to the limit because I saw the gap increasing and then Kimi was behind but I could manage to keep the gap to him and the strategy was perfect as well.
It looked like you were having a bit of a fight there with your team-mate Kimi trading fastest laps in the mid-point of the race. But at the end of the day you had a lot in hand, as you say. Can you tell us a little bit about your mind-set coming into this race having had difficult weekends first in Australia and Malaysia, but then coming to Bahrain where you won last year?
FM: For sure I have not had very easy weeks but that's life. It's not the first time and won't be the last one as well. You have some bad days in your life. I had two bad days in the first two races but I know that we are quick. When you make a mistake and you are behind it means that something is wrong but when you make a mistake and you are fighting for the victory that's better. For sure the race was pretty difficult because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I didn't push as much either, just tried to bring the car home and just controlling the pace as well. But for sure I had a lot of time to think what's happened in the last race. That's pretty normal. But I am sure now it's in the past and what is in the past is one victory and that will help for the next race.
I guess you love this circuit.
FM: Yes, I love this circuit. It is my second victory in a row. I have always gone very strong here. I remember in my first year, in 2006 with Ferrari, I almost made the pole position but was stuck in traffic in qualifying. Then I didn't have a very lucky race but I was always very strong, so I like the circuit. They are nice people here and we are always welcome, so it is nice to be here and get the second victory.
Kimi, you have taken the lead in the World Championship but an interesting day for you. Playing catch-up virtually from the start, but a nice pass around the outside of Robert in the second lap there.
Kimi Raikkonen: The whole weekend has been pretty difficult, one of those things when we cannot really get the car right. But anyhow it was one of those bad weekends but I still finished second and the next race might be completely different again. We are leading the championship which is the main thing and we know that we have the speed once we get everything right. The race was quite difficult but anyhow I am happy with second.
Putting the handling problems with the car to one side, you had a slight delay in the first pit stop and came in a little bit early at the second stop.
KR: In the second stop we had an easy time because we were one-two and we were not really racing against each other. We knew when we were going to stop, so we took it pretty easy. The first stop I had some difficulties. There was some problem with the light system, so it took a bit longer but it didn't change much the things in the race. I was second, but like I said, it was a difficult weekend, so second is a good outcome.
There were phases of the race where you were setting fastest laps and putting pressure on Felipe. Even at that point how was the car handling and how did you feel in the car?
KR: I mean it hasn't been perfect all weekend. The problem is that one lap is good but the next lap is different and we haven't really found the perfect mid-way if you like but that's life. I have never been too happy on this circuit but out of these first three races it is really important to get as many points as possible. Usually after that the season really starts, so I am happy to be leading going back to Europe and hopefully we can be really strong in the next races.
Robert, congratulations. Pole position and your second successive podium finish. First of all, what was it like off the line from pole?
Robert Kubica: Well, I think there was no big difference. The difference was there were no cars in front of me. But we had some problems on the formation lap at the start with a lot of wheel spin and in fact also at the race start I had a lot of wheel spin, although it looks like Felipe made a better start than me. Then unfortunately on the second lap I didn't know about the oil and there was oil from corner four until corner 10 and even 11. I took some debris in corner one and thought I had punctured the tyre. I didn't know if I was going to pit soon because I didn't have information about oil on the track and I lost a place to Kimi. In the second stint we faced some problems with graining and rear degradation and I think we lost quite a lot of gap to Ferrari. But anyway I think it was a good result: third and fourth for the team and leading the Constructors' championship, so it was good weekend.
And a close race as it turned out at the end with your team-mate Nick Heidfeld, beating him by three-and-a-half seconds.
RK: Yeah, I knew I had to make the difference in the first stint. I couldn't because I lost with the oil problem and in the second lap Kimi overtook me and I was running behind him. It was not easy because in the windy conditions when you are running behind it is very easy to make mistakes. I knew which gap I had to make before pitting. I just pushed when I needed to and that's all.
sign in