08/10/2004
NEWS STORY
Jean Todt: We had two hours of free practice in the worst possible weather. Despite this, we tried to work on the set-up of the F2004 and, from what we could see, the car and Bridgestone tyre package seemed to work well. The forecast for tomorrow is definitely not encouraging and we might have to take a stab in the dark as far as choosing a dry weather tyre, which adds another element of uncertainty. Watching the cars go round in these conditions definitely makes us more anxious than usual: it is clear that visibility for the drivers is virtually zero and they are practically in the dark when it comes to knowing what is going on in front and behind them.
Rubens Barrichello: It has been a difficult day because, as much as I like driving in the wet, today’s conditions have made it almost impossible to do any meaningful work. I was not even pushing on the straights as it was not worth it. I feel sorry for all the Japanese fans who came today. Hopefully, Sunday will be a better day and we and the fans will be able to enjoy ourselves.
Michael Schumacher: Overall, it was an interesting day running in the rain here at Suzuka. Because of the weather, we could not do as much running as we would have liked, but at least we managed to do a bit of work on the car. Now, we have to wait and see what happens tomorrow with the weather. Already today, it was almost impossible to drive and if conditions get worse, which seems likely, I don’t think we could go out on track. If that happens, maybe I’ll play football or backgammon..
Ross Brawn: The conditions were extremely difficult, but the drivers were happy with the cars which seem reasonably well balanced. Apart from having to cope with the partial flooding on the track, the cars and the Bridgestone tyres were very good. And this was proved by the fact that Michael did some very good times despite the bad conditions. So, if the weather stays like this for Sunday, we will not be unhappy. The unknown factor is what will happen tomorrow, if the expected typhoon hits the circuit. There is some speculation that we might not be able to run tomorrow and there will be some rearrangements to Sunday’s schedule. If it turns out to be dry on Sunday, it will be a very interesting situation as we would have to guess which tyre and what set-up to run. But the team is strong in unusual situations, so it would be an opportunity as well as a problem.