From this race…

McLaren

The technical problems with Raikkonen?s car in qualifying that saw him lose one of his timed runs.
Kimi Raikkonen started the qualifying session in the spare car as his racecar had blown an engine before the start of qualifying. Things got no better for the Finn; the T-car developed a hydraulic problem on Kimi’s first run and he failed to register a competitive time. He returned to the pit and McLaren set about the task of assembling a healthy car for the Finn. On his way back to the pits Kimi was able to balk the Jaguar of De la Rosa. This could have proved to be a good move from the Finn as the Jaguars were going up in the world and as such would be less fun to tease.

“An eventful qualifying where I experienced some difficulties,” the Finn explained. “I had to change from my race car to the T-car for one of my timed laps and back again which didn’t make things easy. It’s a pity because I think I could have achieved a better time. Under the circumstances I’m satisfied with the result and aim for a competitive race tomorrow.”

“Always got to grump about something! Well, we are still not quite clear what the situation is but from what I hear the FIA have approved that Michael, tomorrow, can have four sets of tyres available for the 2002 car and four sets available for the 2001 car,” Head said. “If that is correct then it is completely against article 80C of the sporting code that says that the driver, not the car but the driver, is allocated four sets of tyres. I understand they have got a problem that the wheels of one car do not fit the wheels of the other car, so I can see why they would want to do it, but, in our understanding, it doesn’t comply with article 80C, so we will certainly be having some discussions. It may not be the case. Every now and again a wind-up goes up and down the pitlane and one has to be careful not to over- react.”

However, it appeared the situation was sorted Sporting Director of Ferrari, Jean Tobt, stating that if Michael Schumacher were forced to switch from the F2002 to F2001, then the number of tyres used on the first car would be deducted from the four of the other.

“This afternoon, we tried to make up for all the time lost in the morning, when I only managed to do a handful of laps,” Rubens explained, (on Friday night.) “Right from the installation lap, I had a puncture on the right rear tyre and then I spun because of a problem with the traction control. We still have a lot to do in terms of finding the right set up to deal with the bumpy nature of the track and to finalise our tyre choice for qualifying and the race.”

“We couldn’t achieve the necessary balance today. Missing most of the second practice session this morning after stalling doesn’t help as that is the time you do your fine tuning for qualifying,” Frentzen said. “It only accounts for a few tenths of a second but that would have made a lot of difference today. We were basically fighting against understeer and oversteer in each of the four runs. We need to analyse why we have this problem more here than we did in Malaysia or Australia.”

“An eventful qualifying where I experienced some difficulties,” the Finn explained. “I had to change from my race car to the T-car for one of my timed laps and back again which didn’t make things easy. It’s a pity because I think I could have achieved a better time. Under the circumstances I’m satisfied with the result and aim for a competitive race tomorrow.”

“As the car is still new, we have had to work in a different way. We have not got the maximum potential out of it yet. I don’t think the gap between my times and the Williams is a fair reflection of the performance difference between the cars. Maybe in three or four races time, we will be able to judge the car’s true level, excluding the tyre factor. But it was the right decision to bring the new car here, as it was ready. I don’t know where I would have been with the old one,” Schumacher said.

The car did look a handful, in fact in Free Practice Schumacher was off the track as often as he was on. The F2002 looked to have raw speed but it seemed to be lacking in the derivability of the F2001.

“I braked hard, but the car started to slide and the only way I could pass the Arrows was on the left,” Heidfeld said.

“I am really disappointed about how the race went, although I got two points in the end,” Montoya said after his fifth placed finish. “I started from pole position and got the fastest lap today, it should have been my race. After the start I made a mistake in the first corner, therefore Michael could get in front of me. Afterwards I tried to overtake him again, but he cut across and ripped off my front wing. Again, I am very disappointed.”

Montoya also added that his belief that Schumacher was fair to race against was now shattered.

“I thought he was a fair guy to race with but he is not,” said Montoya. “He was beside me and I gave him room around the first two corners. But then he moved into the middle of the track. I went to the inside. I was behind him but when I made my move he shut the door as soon as he could in front of me. My wing was already hanging off. I had enough speed to pass him there – it’s very disappointing. He loses his front wing (in Malaysia) even though I gave him more room and I get penalised. This time he went in front of me, the way Rubens did with Ralf the race before, and I was even closer. But it’s me who pays the penalty – it just goes on. I had the speed to win that race.”

Schumacher said: “I moved over to the left to avoid him taking the inside, I left the outside open for him and that’s it. I don’t know what happened and I don’t know what makes him unhappy. I didn’t even feel a touch. I have not seen the incident yet and so soon after the race is the wrong time to react to his comments.”

“Today was not a good race for me. I started off with a problem with launch control so I had to start manually which lost me my grid position by a few places,” Fisichella explained. “On the first lap, some carbon fibre debris from the accident with Juan Pablo Montoya and Michael Schumacher damaged my front wing and I had to stop to change it. Finally I was forced to retire when the engine failed. I haven’t had a great start to the season, let’s hope my luck changes for my home race in Imola.”

“We had opted for a different strategy to Michael’s as, starting from the fourth row, it was the best chance of making up places in the early stages of the race. Everything was going well and I managed to get into the lead and given the combination of strategies, I think I could have ended up on the podium. Unfortunately, my car developed an hydraulic problem and I had to retire,” Rubens explained. “The F2001 was going well today and I really wanted to give it a great send off with a good result. Despite the fact I have yet to score points after three races, my motivation remains high, in part because I feel I have shown what I can do. The crowd was fantastic. I’m just sorry I had to wave to them walking back to the pits. I would rather have done it at the end of the race. I am happy that Michael has won with the new car. It’s promising for the rest of the season.”

“I’ve had one hell of a day today,” he said. “First, the accident I had this morning, then all the dramas in the race. After our difficult qualifying session, it was good to be able to show our pace was good for the race. I’m sorry that my home Grand Prix ended this way as I had a good start and was having a good time fighting for positions.”

“That was a real shame as I was having a very exciting race,” Frentzen said. “Our race set-up was working well and I was really enjoying myself out there. I felt that something was wrong with the rear of the car a few laps before my scheduled pit stop so I came early. As it was the same problem Enrique had we decided it was safer to retire from the race.”

“We thought we had solved the reliability problems but obviously not because today I had gearbox failure. I don’t know if I could have finished in the points but if you don’t finish you don’t get to find out. We really have to work hard on our reliability in testing next week before we can hope to move forward,” he said. “If we can finish a race, we can at least take advantage of opportunities. I haven’t finished the first three races now and that’s obviously not good, but I would like to think that I’ve had my run of bad luck now and the next few races can bring me better things.”

“I made a good start and was making very good progress until Montoya hit Schumacher. I was just behind Mika when he pulled out and I hit Juan’s wing, which was lying in the middle of the track,” he explained. “It damaged the nose of my car and punctured the front tyres, so I was forced to pit. The car’s handling then got worse and worse with oversteer and, at Turn 4, the rear wheel locked up.”

“The car was obviously heavy at the start with the strategy we had chosen, and then we weren’t able to stick to our pit stop schedule because of a fuelling issue,” the Webber said. “The balance of the car was much better on the second set of tyres, but then I had a touch with Massa, which caused a puncture, and I had to make an unscheduled stop, followed by another five laps from the end of the race, for a final splash of fuel. This was a good Grand Prix to get under my belt. I learned a lot today, but I’ve still got a lot more to do.”

“I made a great start and was able to follow Nick in the early stages, but then some understeer got worse and worse and I began to slip back,” Massa explained. “I had a great fight with Villeneuve and Frentzen but unfortunately, after my stop Mark Webber tried to brake very late and put me out.”

“Obviously, I’m gutted. I had a great start, and was lying fourth at the end of the first lap. I kept up a good pace in front of Coulthard, although both McLarens managed to get by during the pit-stops,” Trulli explained. “After Raikkonen retired, I was comfortable in fourth place when the engine went. What can I say? A positive race; a negative result.”

“I made a good start this afternoon and my car felt fine to begin with, but I think I may have had a slow puncture on the right rear on my first set of tyres as Mika Salo was getting close,” Nick explained. “I had him under control, however, and after my first stop I had no trouble keeping ahead of him. Then after a while I began to feel some really strange vibrations in the front end so I had to make an unscheduled stop and then was forced to retire. It’s disappointing because I could have finished sixth today.”

“It’s a pity that I didn’t finish a race.” He said. “Like David, I was stuck behind both Renaults for the majority of the Grand Prix but eventually managed to out brake Jenson Button at the first corner on lap 40, which I held until my car suffered a wheel hub failure with three laps to go which cost me fourth place.”

“The car was actually better in the race and a little faster than yesterday. I had a problem selecting first gear during the pitstop and lost maybe 5 seconds there,” he said. “The car felt quite balanced but it just wasn’t quick enough. I pushed as hard as I could but it was impossible to get any more out of it. Then we had an intermittent problem towards the end and the engine cut completely just a lap from the finish.”

“As far as the penalty for this morning is concerned, all I can say is that it was impossible for me to see the red light from where I was. I didn’t make a final run as I knew it would change nothing in terms of grid position,” he explained after qualifying. “I think we had come up with a well set-up car, however I had a gear selection problem, although all in all, I don’t think it would have changed much. It certainly won’t be easy starting from the fourth row, but it will be a long hard race so I am confident all the same.”