F1 to One
with Jean Todt - Ferrari.
F1 Racing, January 1997.

Q: Did you enjoy 1996?
A: No. It was a very tough year for me, but I'm strong and still here. It is hard, though - maybe I will retire earlier than usual.

Q: So what went wrong this season?
A: Little things, one after the other. The delay with the car, reliability problems, some strategy problems and a bit of bad luck.

Q: What do you think of Michael Schumacher?
A: Everybody knows he's the best driver, so there's no point discussing that. He's a great guy, very human, very keen to understand others, very co-operative.

Q: Is he too big for his boots?
A: No. He's young, but very strong in his head, very normal. He's not spoilt, and he still knows the value of things. In this game you can easily lose the value of things.

Q: He said he'd win three races. Did you think he would?
A: When you look back at the season, you realise that it wasn't an easy commitment to make, but he did it.

Q: Was it frustrating to have a bad car after hiring Michael?
A: Yes. But I always knew that something positive would happen. Sometimes it is difficult when you have so many problems to know just where you are, because in this game there's no point speaking about it, you have to show people.

Q: What was wrong with the car?
A: At the start of the year it was more unstable than the '95 car, so we knew we'd have problems. Basically, it was nervous and difficult to find the right set-up.

Q: What about the engine, the switch to V10?
A: We never had a doubt. We went to a known road, opened by the others. It was probably more difficult to be alone with the V12, than together with the others with the V10. The only thing was that we had no knowledge of the 10-cylinder engine. There were lots of problems due to the new engine: vibration and heat and so on.

Q: Did you ever get depressed about your poor form?
A: I don't think there's any point complaining about these things. It's racing. But what could we expect? To be second in the constructors' title? To win three races? Well, we were second, we won three and we had four poles. So the result is positive.

Q: What was the best race of the year?
A: Spain was emotional and more spectacular, but the one I enjoyed the most was Spa. It was the light at the end of the tunnel, a fantastic win for everybody in the team.

Q: Are you happy with your number two driver, Eddie Irvine?
A: He was a very good spirit and accepted a situation which wasn't easy. He has a different personality; he follows the line. Sometimes this year it helped Michael. But he gets on well with Michael, so I'm happy with him.

Q: How will things change for Irvine?
A: He will do more testing. We will work more closely together. On his side, he has to push, to train, to be concentrated on one aim. We will do something for him, and he has to do something for us.

Q: Is the championship your target for next year?
A: It's difficult to say. For me, next year will be better. I really feel it will. But will it be enough? I don't know. It depends on the other teams. If some genius makes a car two seconds quicker, we'll be behind.

Q: What is John Barnard's future?
A: John has a contract until July '97. At the moment everyone is concentrating on next year. John has done a good job as chief designer. It's easy to criticise, but Ferrari has always supported him. It's a team job.

Q: Is there pressure for change?
A: We live with pressure, but I don't want to take it into consideration. We must pursue a sensible strategy, think and make decisions without being pushed into doing things.

Q: When do you get most satisfaction from the job?
A: When we in....