13/06/2005
NEWS STORY
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In his team's post-race press release, Jean Todt made it quite clear how he felt about his drivers' performances in the Canadian Grand Prix: "This is an encouraging result, but we must not forget that our aim is to take the win, which escaped us again today."
A couple of hours later, having had time to fully reflect on the day's events, and one of the most topsy-turvy races in recent years, Todt sat down to discuss the Canadian GP in more detail.
Asked for his initial thoughts on the result, he repeated his earlier comments: "It is encouraging," he admitted, "even if we've finished second already this season, we've finished third this season but unfortunately we still haven't tasted victory. So we are still seeking wins."
It's pointed out that on Friday, Schumacher had admitted that the team was "not looking too competitive", therefore, on reflection, and considering some of the problems encountered by the team over the weekend, the result cannot be considered too bad.
"It was a different problem," said Todt. "We principally had a problem with Rubens who couldn't do his qualifying (lap) and consequently started from the pit lane, and I would say that the race scenario, the way he tackled the race, the team's strategy, meant that he finished on the rostrum, even though we knew it would be difficult. But it was possible.
"As for Michael, he had problems at the start due to a lack of grip off the grid, but he finished second, very close to the winner, but having said that, he'd already finished very close to the winner and what we would like is that it's a second placed driver who finishes close to us, which wasn't the case."
Does he feel therefore that Canada marks the beginning of the Ferrari revival? "No," he rep[lies without hesitation.
"Why?" he continues. "It's a new stage, each Grand Prix is a new stage, and at each Grand Prix we have a start, but in no way is the Canadian Grand Prix a turning point. If you want me to sum it up, a turning point will be the day when we are able to win each Grand Prix which has been the case in the past, and which has ceased to be the case since the beginning of the year."
He's asked what improvements the team has in the pipeline.
"We have a certain number of improvements," he admits, before neatly sidestepping the issue, "if we want to talk about those.
"We were very satisfied with our tyres during the race, perhaps a slight lack of grip from the package during qualifying, even if Michael succeeded in getting onto the front row in second place, but we were obliged to make a certain compromise with our fuel load in order to achieve that, because it's well known that when you find yourself in the middle of the pack, it makes races much more difficult and more unpredictable.
"Everything that we did today we had done before," he continues. "We did it at Monte Carlo, at Bahrain, we did it at Imola, at Nurburgring. At Nurburgring, we finished third and fifth even though our drivers found themselves at the back after the first corner. You have to look at the grids since the beginning of the season and you will see that unfortunately too often we have started too far back which compromised our race. And once we start better, the racing becomes much more competitive."
He's asked if by using a different strategy for qualifying and then the race, the team has learned something this weekend that it hasn't before.
"What is the new strategy we used this weekend?" he responds. "We had the same last weekend at Nurburgring. Rubens was on three stops at the last race at Nurburgring, so normally it's a choice between two and three, so honestly it was nothing new, we just know that we must try to push to be as more in front as possible to pretend to do a good race."
So does this mean always opting for a lighter car in qualifying?
He smiles, "You are expecting an answer to that? You want the white label before each race? It could be a good idea. It all depends what we do. If the car doesn't need that, if it is a second or half a second quicker than the others we will put more fuel in it.
"If the car is less competitive we may decide," he adds, "but we know that we miss grip on the first lap and it's nothing new, even if it was a bit better here, then it's something we did here, but maybe we will have good grip for the next race on the first lap."
Assuming Michael could have got away ahead of the McLarens, does Todt feel that he could have won here?
"I don't know," he replies, with a sigh. "Every time we meet I hate speculating what could have been. We were second and third, that's all I can judge, that's what I comment on and I must say it's quite a pleasing result, it's encouraging, it's good for the team. But our aim is to be first and second, so that's what we're working for."
Rubens' gearbox problem in qualifying, is an on-going problem, it's been happening for a while.
"No," he replies, without hesitation, "it was the first time that we've had this problem and we had the same problem with Michael at the end of free practice yesterday."
Can Ferrari be confident that it won't happen again?
"Well, we are analysing the problem," he replies. "However, confident? I am confident that we will do the most we can but until I'm completely sure that the solution to solve the problem is homologated there is always a doubt.
"Today I had the doubt that it could happen again and so thanks to the experience our engineers have to analyse the situation and find some proper solutions."
The $64,000 question, can they be solved by Indianapolis?
"They have been solved by Canada," he replies, smiling..
On Friday, Ross Brawn commented that Rory Byrne has been helping to optimise the relationship between the chassis and the tyres. Todt is asked if he can give a little more information.
"Let's say that we try to be behind each single detail which can help our performance," he replies, "so it's just more analysis, more commitment from everybody, both inside and outside of the company to try to improve the situation.
"I don't want to appear cynical," he continues, "but it's what he does every day; Let's say at the moment, as Ross explained, he's more focused on analysing, co-ordinating the analysis, the combination of the tyres, of the temperature and all that because we know the problem we face and let's say he's the head of the project to analyse the whole situation."
Another $64,000 question; how close does Todt feel Ferrari is to a definitive solution with the tyre and chassis problem, however the team might define it?
"I cannot answer," he admits, "it would be very ambitious to say we are going to be in front of the others… to put it simply, we do our best to do that and then we will see when, and if, we are able to do it."
Is the gearbox the weakness of the F2005, because Ferrari has had a number of problems, although in different areas?
"Yes, it's the weakness," he replies, "yes, but it's a weakness in reliability and of course we need to be reliable to finish races, but we need to do the utmost to be reliable and to be competitive, but even if we had a 100 percent with the gearbox, that will not make the car quicker so we must, in parallel, work on improving performance of the whole package."
Changing the subject ever so slightly; there has been a lot of speculation this weekend that Ferrari has been talking to Kimi's management or that Kimi's management have been talking to Ferrari. Is there any truth in that?
"I'm not going to comment about that," he responds. "We have our drivers, we are very happy with our drivers, they are contracted until '05, '06 and that is not the priority today. The priority today is to try and win the next race and the one after, and to have a competitive car for next year. Saying that, he was unlucky at the last race at the Nurburgring, he drove very good race, of course, I would prefer to have Michael winning the race today, but I was happy for Kimi. He's a good guy."
But is he the sort of guy that Ferrari would like?
"I think I've answered that question ten times," says the Frenchman. "For me amongst the young drivers… you know, again, I'm sorry but what I find a bit frustrating when I see the analysis and all that, it's never deep analysis about the situation. Today, if you make a deep analysis, you will see that Rubens Barrichello was starting from the garage and finished third. I see that Massa has been finishing fourth, in front of much stronger teams, and I never read a word about that because people say that it is my son who is running his career, so that's why he is driving the car.
"I want to speak about Ferrari," he continues, "so one day I will be more free to speak about other things but you know I will not tell who we will have in 2007, even if I know now, even if all the contracts have been signed, I will not tell you who is going to drive. You cannot expect me to tell you that.
"I don't have any problem with that, you're right, you do your job but that's why I say…
"Sometimes I have a problem when there is not deep analysis about who is doing what. Today was spectacular and I think it's worth looking at in more detail, that's all. It's a personal thing."