01/10/2006
NEWS STORY
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Definitely after qualifying yesterday and the weather forecast of today, we are more than delighted by the final result. We know that wet conditions at the moment is not the best for us and when Michael was sixth after the fantastic qualifying and due to the change of engine of Felipe's, 20th on the grid, with our major competitors in first and second position, I was more calculating how many points we would lose considering that Michael was two points behind before the race and Ferrari was three points ahead. And finishing this race in China with Michael taking the lead in the Drivers' championship - when I say taking the lead because he's leading the championship with the same amount of points but seven wins against six and Ferrari being one point behind in the Manufacturers, we can be very happy. There are two races to go, we know our races can be unpredictable, but we must not forget where we were after the Montreal Grand Prix in the Manufacturers and the Drivers championship. We have very strong competitors to fight with, but we have demonstrated that we are very tight and hard competitors to fight with as well, so it would be interesting but I would not allow me to make some prediction about the final result. We will see.
Michael did a great race, the team did a fantastic job. Felipe drove a very good race. Unfortunately he could not get the advantage of it because he damaged the suspension when he had the incident with Coulthard but he had been doing a great job supporting the team to help Michael to chose when to put the dry tyres on, so it has been very good teamwork as usual.
Jean, were you concerned at all during the race by the way Renault appeared to be trying to block Michael coming through, trying to block Michael coming through, running two cars side-by-side down the straight?
Jean Todt: It has been a good learning for us. We have learned what you can do. We learn what we can do inside and we learn from what the others do so it's always interesting.
Do you think those tactics were unusual?
JT: It's up to you to judge, if they were usual or unusual. We have just taken that into consideration.
Did you have any engine worries after Felipe Massa's problem in Friday, particularly given the next two races?
JT: Unfortunately we cannot guarantee 100 percent reliability. We have been quite reliable, probably not as much as I wish we could have been all through the season, but I must say Coulthard finished the second race with the same engine specification today. We did many long runs with the same specification of Felipe's engine so we will be sending the back the damaged parts to Maranello to have a metalogical analysis and we should have further information next week.
Did you think the championship would be this close at this stage of the year?
JT: We always feel that until mathematically things are possible, we are going to fight, so let's say we knew we were strong, we were strong from the beginning of the season. Often we did not take the opportunity or we didn't do the perfect job to take it and we have improved the situation since a few races and we knew that since a few races that we could fight but until the race has happened you never know what will be the evolution of the race. When we speak sometimes, if one is finishing first always, eight races to go, sixteen points, the other one… you know it never happens like that.
Do you think this year has been as tough a championship battle as you have known in the past ten years?
JT: I would not say so. We have had championships… '97, '98, '99, all the championships were lost in the last race except '99 for the Manufacturers' championship which we won at the last race. So, I would say we have been fighting for the championship since '97 except 2005 where we did a bad season, but otherwise… and then some seasons were very tough, some seasons were a bit more comfortable. Let's say this one is tough but we are still fighting.
Does that experience maybe give you an advantage when you are in a position like this, two races and…
JT: What gives you an advantage is to have the right tyres, the right reliability, the right strategy, that's what makes the advantage.
Michael can win the championship in Japan…
JT: … and Ferrari can lose the Manufacturers' championship as well.
But Fernando cannot win it, Michael can. Does that take the pressure off a little bit?
JT: No. It goes quick. What remains is the title and the wins, so let's work for that.
Renault made a strategic mistake by changing the front tyres of Alonso. At the same pit stops, Michael didn't. Did you have any concerns about changing the tyres or not or was it clear?
JT: We knew after having spoken with the drivers that we would stay with the same tyres, but they are from different companies so different specifications, different handling, so I think it would not be fair that they made a mistake and we didn't because we were not using the same tyres.
Do you think tyres will decide the championship?
JT: Yes, as they have done in the past.
Is your concern over the wet tyres?
JT: It's not only wet, it's only some wet conditions.
Are you disappointed Kimi stopped because he might have taken points away from the Renaults?
JT: It's a question for 2007, I hope. It will be in our favour.
At Michael's second stop, the crew came out and went in again and they came out very late before the stop. Was that to stop Fisichella coming in on the same lap?
JT: They were just wondering when to stop, just preparing in case of…
The fact that Massa retired today, will you change his engine, or will you put a new spec engine in?
JT: Not yet decided.
Red Bull signed an engine deal with Renault after Monza and they are still trying to move the Ferrari deal to Toro Rosso. Is there any discussions going on about that or any movement?
JT: We have been discussing. In the meantime we have signed an agreement for '07 with Spyker, the new team joining Formula One. They took over, as you know, Midland Racing, and in the coming days we will keep discussing with Red Bull Organisation.
Is it possible there could be a deal?
JT: We will keep discussing.
Are you happy with the Spyker deal?
JT: That's why we made it.
Is there any rub-off with the road cars?
JT: No, nothing to do with road cars. I respect them. I had the opportunity at looking at their road cars a bit more at Pebble Beach where I was in August, but the agreement is only Formula One, exclusively Formula One. Exclusively in Formula One. Honestly, the road car connection is bullshit, nothing. It's not something I normally say, but any kind of speculation on that is completely losing time. Maybe good for internet feeding.
Did the common shareholder help the deal to happen, because they have the same shareholder?
JT: Not at all.
In 2008, the rules say you can only have one customer team, how are you going to deal with that?
JT: If you read, it is true that in '07 it is free and '08 it's one unless a pre-agreement of the FIA, so we are in a situation to supply two teams, then we will speak with the FIA and there is no reason why the FIA should block that.
Do you expect to still have one of the Red Bull teams in '08?
JT: I did not say that. We are discussing. At the moment, we have a contract for '07 with Red Bull.
Today was one of those occasions when Michael grabbed every opportunity that came his way. How do you rate, among all the spectacular and memorable victories that he's achieved, how did you rate today's achievement?
JT: Important one. We are not going to make a classification out of the 91 wins. It is a great win, great win, he did other great wins. It was a combination of strategy, teamwork, Michael's control of the car in different conditions. He attacked when he had to attack. He slowed down when he could slow down. It was a perfectly controlled race from him, the team and the package he was driving.
This morning, you said you were calculating the points you could lose; when did you realise that you will beat the winning team and the winning driving. At which part of the race?
JT: Lap 56. It's nothing to smile about because you could see the difference. When Michael was crossing the line, lap 55 he was four seconds behind and it was rain conditions with slick tyres so you must be incompetent to think that it's going to be easy, so we knew it could happen and I was completely concerned that he could lose the car on the last lap.
Do you think it's the right time for Michael to retire?
JT: It's his choice. I respect Michael's choice. He's a great driver, great human being, he has decided that he was going to end his career at the end of the championship and you can only respect that. It's another way of saying he's achieved so much. What would he change, really? As long as he's happy, that's the only thing that matters for me.
Does Ferrari have any co-operation plans for Michael?
JT: We will be more precise at the end of the season.
Whatever happens to the championship, will he be happy to retire after a race like this and everyone can see how good he still is?
JT: A race like this or a race like Monza. Again, Ferrari has won 50 percent of the races this year, eight out of 16. Michael won seven of them, he's in full control of his talent, of his capacity, of his motivation and that's the way Michael is.
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