Grand Prix de Grande-Bretagne

Question: Michael, that start of Kimi's - when he just disappeared into the distance what were you thinking?
Michael Schumacher: Not much. I knew what strategy I was on so I wasn't so concerned about that.

Q: Then, shortly afterwards when he came into the pits you put in your usual trio of fastest laps, which were phenomenal.
MS: Yeah, I mean, I was stuck behind Jenson, I tried to have a go at him but I was not really close enough in the areas I had an opportunity, so I just had to sit and wait because I knew the strategy I had so there was no need for overdoing anything. Then I had a free circuit and I just used my car and the potential I had and that was obviously working very well.

Q: So, when you were twice caught by Kimi, you weren't particularly worried?
MS: No because even had he passed me I knew the pace I had he would have opened a little bit of a gap but not enough to worry us, honestly, with the strategy we had.

Q: And, really, even the safety car worked against only you and helped all the rest of them.
MS: I know, I know. That is the way it is. I was lucky, obviously, to have a couple of cars between me and Kimi that allowed me to get my tyres to work and I was able to keep my position.

Q: How were the tyres today, because I believe you were on the softer option.
MS: Our tyres worked fantastically well, I have to say, with maybe the exception of the opening laps and after the safety car, but we had a very strong performance towards the end of the stint, so you trade one against the other. You rarely have safety cars, you have just one start, but you have many last laps, so I think for the race and for the consistency we were sorted out very well.

Q: Kimi, that 3.5-second lead at the end of the first lap - what about that? What were you thinking?
Kimi Raikkonen: I just tried to do my best and push as hard as I could because I knew that Ferrari might be quicker than us over the race distance so I tried to build as much gap as I could. I did it well, but every time when I came out from the pits I was stuck behind someone so I couldn't use my new tyres, really, to gain more time. Then Michael got in front of me and I was stuck behind him. I tried to pass but I wasn't quick enough.

Q: Did you think you could win when you were right behind him there?
KR: Of course, I was always thinking that, I didn't give up before we finished the race. And in the last part, when we were behind the safety car I was also thinking that if I went past the two cars between us quickly then I would have a good chance because with new tyres I might be able to pass him. But it took too long to get past those two cars so I wasn't able. But in the end second place was good for us.

Q: What have you learned about the MP4-19B this weekend that you can take into, say, Hockenheim?
KR: I guess that it is a quick car and it is reliable but we still need to improve it and I think we are getting some new parts for the next race and hopefully we can go more strongly and maybe we can try for a win. It is a very positive start because it is only the second race that we have taken this car and we can really race with it, so it is very good for the team and for all the people.

Q: Rubens, you were gaining at the end there, did you think you could get second place?
Rubens Barrichello: No, to be honest with you, I don't think so. I wasn't quick enough to have a go at him. Obviously, if we had another ten laps and our tyres were always getting better and better I don't know if he would have a problem with his, then, yes, but those two laps were close but not close enough.

Q: It was a really early first stop, lap nine, was that always scheduled?
RB: We had the thinking that I could be on pole and just do nine qualifying laps and really open up a gap just like Michael did at the Nuerburgring. The problem was that first, the qualifying lap yesterday started really well but the pressure in the tyres went a bit too high and I struggled on sector three so therefore I lost time and so Kimi pipped me. But even if I was on pole today, he would have given me a tremendous problem on the first lap because warming up (my tyres) was really a problem today. I don't think we have a problem with that, but today. Because of the weather, we did have a problem so then I struggled. I struggled for three laps, more or less, and then he opened such a gap and I just recouped it a little bit but when I came to the first pit stop, after I did it and I was a bit heavy and I wasn't going anywhere and all of a sudden when I picked up a little bit of speed I was behind that group of six or seven cars which were fighting for position so I lost out a little bit today.

Q: Jenson got ahead of you in the first pit stop and then you got ahead of him in the next one.
RB: I was lucky that I had one more lap than him because that was the only way I could have actually passed him. I don't know if I would have had the chance to pass him on the track. Obviously by myself, when my tyres were old, that was very very quick, so when he went into the pits I could see my fastest sectors and I was really thinking that I could have done it.