Monza Race Press Conference  10 Sep 2000 



1. Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) 1:27:31.638
2. Mika Hakkinen (McLaren) 3.810 behind
3. Ralf Schumacher (Williams) 52.432 behind


Q. Michael. Many, many congratulations. It's your sixth win of the season. You've not had a win for six races and you've done it in front of your home fans, the Tifosi, you must be delighted?
MS: I think delighted is the wrong word. I have no vocabulary for anything higher than that. I'm sorry but I'm just happy, I'm exhausted. (Sighs).


Q. I'm not sure if you are aware but this is your 41st victory, which puts you equal second all-time with Ayrton Senna. Do those records mean a lot to you?
MS: Yes, it does mean a lot to me. (Puts his head down and cries. Mika Hakkinen comforts him and Ralf initially looks shocked or embarrassed.)


Q. Mika, for the last two races I think that Michael has been magnanimous enough to admit that on the day you had the faster car - the McLaren. Do you think that today Ferrari was the faster car?
MH: Can we have a break? Go to Ralf, Ralf can continue.


Q. Ralf, you are unique of the three drivers here because you actually saw that very big second chicane incident. Can you perhaps talk us through how you saw it and how you managed to avoid it?
RS: Basically I saw a lot of dust coming up and car parts flying around. And Jacques and me managed somehow to go round, but it looked really terrible. Someone was hurt as we saw, but I don't know who it was.


Q. Back to your own race. When you were driving along and you saw Ricardo Zonta and Jos Verstappen drive past, did you think "oh dear, I'm on the wrong strategy"?
RS: We always knew that some were on the lighter strategy, but at Monza on a longer strategy you usually have the upper hand. And we were quicker than Verstappen at the end of the day and I knew that we were quicker than Zonta so I didn't worry too much.


Q. Mika, as I said before, do you think today that the Ferrari was the faster car compared to the McLaren?
MH: A little bit, yes. Not much, but enough.


Q. When you came out from the pitstop, despite the fact that it is very unlike you to catch up with Michael, you actually put in a series of very quick laps, including the fastest lap of all. Why was that?
MH: We made some modifications during the pitstop and it made the balance of the car better. But not enough obviously. But the gap to Michael was too much and it was impossible really to catch him. And also there were backmarkers, a couple of Minardis were quite a pain, they didn't let me overtake easily, so I lost maybe two or three seconds over that. But at the end of the day, that is not an excuse or anyhing. And I believe that Michael did not have any reason to push maximum anymore at that time. So that was the situation.


Q. Michael, are you okay to go one? You are obviously very emotional about this. Why does it mean so much to you?
MS: Ask me another question please.

[The press conference moved on to own language comments].