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Press Conference Schedule
Japanese GP - Suzuka

Thursday

·  Jenson Button (BAR-Honda)
·  Heinz Harald Frentzen (Sauber-Petronas)
·  Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren-Mercedes)
·  Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
·  Jason Winton (Jaguar)

Friday

·  Ove Anderson (Toyota)
·  Patrick Head (Williams)
·  Peter Sauber (Sauber)
·  Paul Stoddart (Minardi)
·  Geoff Willis (BAR)

Saturday

·  Three fastest drivers from final qualifying

Sunday

·  Top three finishers in the race

Thursday

·  Jenson Button (BAR-Honda)
·  Heinz Harald Frentzen (Sauber-Petronas)
·  Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren-Mercedes)
·  Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
·  Jason Winton (Jaguar Racing)

Q: Heinz-Harald, how satisfying was the result of Indy for you?
Heinz-Harald FRENTZEN: Ah, great pleasure, great pleasure to be on the podium after some time and to see some old mates. And for the team it was also a nice situation, particularly in the championship where we were not able to be close to our target, finishing fifth in the Constructors’ championship as we were planning at the start and now we’re a bit closer to that target. And coming to this race, we again feel that we still have to finish the job.

Q: Since then, both of you drivers have been told that you won’t be continuing with the team next year. Do you feel the team has been justified in getting rid of you both, even though Peter Sauber has said that there’s nothing wrong with his drivers?
H-HF: Well, Peter Sauber is someone who has big responsibility to his team and he needs to make decisions which take care of everybody in the factory for the future of the team so from my point of view, I would wish him all the best for the next years. I think he’s bringing forward a strong package for the future together with his future manufacturer and he has got a very modern wind tunnel, perhaps the most modern wind tunnel in the world starting at the end of the year and this is a very strong package. So I could be a little bit jealous of the situation but obviously our destinations are in different directions.

Q: What direction is yours going in, have you still got more to offer in Formula One?
H-HF: Yeah, well, there are some options which I am considering at the moment, what I could do, driving with another team next year and I could also leave Formula One and do another championship. I’m still pretty much in favour of motor sport, I like the sport and whatever happens, I will be happy doing my motor sport. I will see. I’m weighing up the options at the moment and I am in no hurry to make a decision.

Q: Jenson, I believe you’ve been here for a little while, three days of promotions. Tell us the high spots of those promotions?
Jenson BUTTON: I’ve been here for three days doing stuff with BAT and also with Honda. I went to Tochigi, R&D, which was quite good fun, where there is the longest corridor I have ever seen in my life. It was good, it was good to meet everyone and good to see what they’ve got for the future.

Q: I hear you had quite a good reception from about 6000 engineers?
JB: Yeah. The corridor must be about 500 meters long and it’s just crazy, people clapping and waving flags. It’s very unusual for us, but it was a nice feeling and I think it was for everyone there also.

Q: Now you had a bit of a problem while leading at Indianapolis, with an engine failure. I believe there’s another step forwards here. Did they reassure you that you wouldn’t have the same problem here as at Indy?
JB: The important thing is the step forward, not just in speed but in reliability, that’s the main issue. But that’s something that they have been working on very hard and I think they’ve sorted that problem out.

Q: Of course the other thing is that we’ve just heard that your former teammate, Jacques Villeneuve, is not going to be driving this weekend, but instead you’ve got Takuma Sato lining up with you. You’ve got to defend the team’s fifth place in the championship, which is very very close as well, so how do you see the weekend coming up?
JB: Very tough. Hopefully Takuma is going to do a good job and I think he will. Hopefully the pressure won’t get to him, but I think it’s a strong team. I think we’ve got a good car for here, hopefully the reliability will be good, and I think we’ve just got to wait and see.

Q: You become team leader for this weekend and next year; does that change anything?
JB: I’m not sure about team leader, but I’m very happy and what’s happening with the car over the winter is very interesting for next season.

Q: Any thoughts on JV’s leaving?
JB: It’s disappointing that he wasn’t here for his final race. Things change. He’s been there for five years, he’s had a very up-and- down time, but it’s disappointing to see him leave Formula One.

Q: Kimi, obviously the pressure is on you this weekend. Are you approaching this weekend any differently?
Kimi RAIKKONEN: Um, no, not really. I guess the same way as the last race and I guess we just need to win the race and then see what happens.

Q: Are you feeling the pressure?
KR: Not really because we can only gain. I don’t mind because if we don’t win the championship then I don’t really mind if we lose the second place to third place. It doesn’t really make much difference if you finish third or second. Only first place is really worth winning.

Q: Is there any more than you can do this weekend? Any more that the team can do this weekend?
KR: Drive as hard as I can and hopefully it will be enough. I guess we are doing exactly the same things as in all the other races this year and it’s difficult to say if we are quick enough or not but I think what we did in the last race seemed enough to be quite competitive and hopefully this is the same here.

Q: Your compatriot, Mika Hakkinen was very popular here in Japan; what’s your following like?
KR: It seems to be OK, lots of people asking for autographs. Maybe they like Finns, but it’s not the easiest place to win fans so I guess we’re doing quite well.

Q: So is people power going to help over the next few days?
KR: I don’t know. We’ll see what happens but I guess it’s nice when you have people cheering you on from the grandstands. But I don’t really know, it doesn’t make any difference to my driving, because you can’t hear them, but it’s nice if they are enthusiastic.

Q: Jason, you certainly kept us waiting for a long time about where you would be heading in 2004. Any developments to speak off.
JW: I am in the final stages of sorting out a deal for the 2004 season. I think a decision will not be too far away.

Q: Recent reports have claimed that Jaguar have advised you that you will not be part of the team in 2004 due to financial reasons. Can you elaborate on this.

JW: I will take this opportunity to confirm that yes I will not remain with Jaguar for the 2004 season. It is a shame but unfortunately the team needs more money to take them further up the grid and the budget for this year probably did hold the team back considerably. I have no regrets, I have had a great time with the team and we have enjoyed some great moments both on and off the track and I wish them every success in the future.

Q: Is must be quite upsetting in the fact that you pledged your support for the team at the European GP extending your contract and for this to happen.

JW: There is some truths in that, and I have relayed my personal feelings to Tony Purnell over the way the entire matter was conducted. But as I said, I have no hard feelings it just a matter of me getting on with racing.

Q: It is a little ironic when you have generally been the driver whom has produced the results that it is you getting replaced and not Mark Webber. How has that come about?

JW: That’s life and I know the reasons why. I can’t really talk about that in any detail, perhaps that is a question for Tony Purnell or Richard Pary Jones.

Q: There has been much talk that you will drive for Sauber in 2004 and that you visted the factory prior to the Hungarian GP. Is this your future team?

JW: I have been in discussion with Sauber and a few other teams as well. I guess you will just have to wait and see when confirmation is forthcoming.

Q: But you will be driving in 2004 as opposed to a testing role with a major team?

JW: Yes, I will be racing.

Q: Michael, has it been a bit strange over the last couple of weeks, because you’re fairly certain to be World Champion – but you’re not? How difficult has that been?
Michael SCHUMACHER: Not so difficult because my mathematics are quite good and I obviously feel that I am the champion if I am and I’m not. So a lot of people think that the thing is done, most of the people do, but I don’t think so.

Q: So how do you approach this race, especially given the team’s position in the World Championship?
MS: That’s the point. We still have to win the Constructors’ championship and accept the typical approach where we have to be very careful not to retire which we have been in the last few races as well. We obviously have more to lose than to gain in a way, as I said before, but in the end, as you sit in the car, you just do what you naturally do. There’s not much about it. It depends a little bit on the situation you’re in after qualifying, how the start will go, but I will just enjoy racing and that’s what I’m here for.

Q: Someone has trawled up the fact that the last two times you’ve tried to win the World Championship at the last race, you haven’t managed to do so each time, although you have managed to do so earlier in the championship. Does that enter into the equation at all?
MS: I think there are many statistics you can put out which can speak in favour or against you. You took one which speaks against me but probably you can find some others.

Q: A lot of talk about retirement over the last couple of weeks; anything to say on the matter?
MS: I thought I was asked about this at Indianapolis and I made very clear statements. I keep on making clear statements but some people struggle to understand that no, no, I’m not thinking about it at all. 

Continued… QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: Michael, after the first three races of the season when you were so far down in the standings did you think you would be in this position?
MS: I was thinking we still had everything open to fight for the championship. I didn’t write off the championship at that stage, but I probably would not have imagined coming here with nine points in the lead.

Q: Kimi, when you were so far ahead of Michael did you think you would come here trailing behind?
KR: This was so early in the season and I was not expecting it to be an easy season because sometimes you hit problems and have bad races and it can be a completely different story. That is what happened to us and ever since we have been trying to close up again. We haven’t come close enough but at least we are still in it for the championship.

Q: Michael, you said a moment ago that you have everything to lose. How comfortable is it that Kimi can drive with nothing to lose where as you have to be a bit more careful?
MS: There is this feeling but on the other hand I have more option to beat him. But in my past experience whatever you think before is different to when you sit in the car. When I am in the car I just think of the situation and I react to the situation.

Q: Do you feel calmer going into this championship than you have in the previous ones?
MS: Probably not the last two ones. It was 1994 and 1995 where we had a similar situation.

Q: If you get your sixth world championship will you find it very, very hard to get the motivation to push for the seventh?
MS: That is the same question I got asked after my fifth championship.

Q: And what was the reply then?
MS: I’m still here.

Q: Michael, when was the turning point of the season when you realised things were not so bad and you had a chance?
MS: I always thought we had a chance. We had some bad luck and it didn’t go too well in Hungary. This time although you know you still have it in your hands leading the championship at the same time you know how difficult it could be. But probably Monza, when I sort of hoped to predict the turn of the situation.

Q: Which car out of Williams, McLaren and Ferrari is the better at this circuit?
JB: They’re all great.
HHF: Well, I don’t want to answer this question too specifically. I would say generally this is a fantastic racetrack here. When I was racing here in Formula 3000 I really enjoyed it and it doesn’t really matter what car quality you have to make it enjoyable. I look forward to this race because it is big fun to drive here.

Q: But would you say one of those three was better than the other at this circuit, from what you have seen in the last 15 races?
HHF: I have never driven the cars. All I have seen of them was always when I received two flags. Only in Indianapolis did I have a chance to drive with Michael and with Kimi on the same lap and the cars are all pretty quick.

Q: Kimi, you didn’t test between Indianapolis and Suzuka. Was that something that was scheduled before?
KR: We had already decided our tyre situation and I didn’t think it would make much change really to be driving in Silverstone.

Q: Kimi, do you regret that so much money was thrown at the 2003 car some of which could have rather usefully been thrown at the one you are racing here this weekend?
KR: I don’t know the money situation but I guess once you have two cars at the same time it is going to take time from the older one. So I think that was part of the reason they made the decision that we would use the 17D after this and then try to get the 18 ready for the race. It is just it didn’t work out and once they decided they would race the whole season with the 17D they started to work with that again and it has improved quite a lot since then. I guess without the 18 we wouldn’t have been able to improve the 17D also because we have taken a lot of new ideas from that. It is really difficult to stay how it affected my season. We are in the situation where we have this car now and it seems to be quick still. I think it was the right decision to keep the 17D.

Q: Michael, this is a big weekend for the Italian Tifosi because after the Grand Prix we have the motorbikes with Valentino Rossi fighting for the championship. Do you follow the championship?
MS: I am not following it too closely, honestly, but I can imagine the feeling of the Tifosi with Ferrari and Rossi close to winning the championships.

Q: Tyres have been a big factor this season. What do you see the situation if the weather stays as warm as it is today?
MS: I thought Indy wasn’t too warm and the competition was pretty close. Monza was close and it was quite a reasonable temperature. I don’t think we will receive a massive temperature that will hurt us. I have seen the situation pretty even where whoever takes 100 percent out of his car, out of his package, he may win.

Q: Michael, are you going to drive thinking about both championships or only the drivers’?
MS: No, I am going to drive for both championships because, I mean, it is pretty easy – Rubens is going to win the race and I take one point so whatever Ralf and Juan Pablo do then we win the championship anyway. We have two drivers in the team and both are responsible to do the best job. We both will try to win the race and it is obviously a very good opportunity for Rubens as well.

Q: For all the drivers, what do you think of the circuit changes?
MS: I just flew in a helicopter over it just coming in but I didn’t really see it very closely. I know there is two chicanes and I don’t even know which one we are going to take of the two. Someone has to tell me.
KR: I have only seen it on television from some other races.
JB: I had a look at 130R and it is not 130R any more but it looks good. It looks quite easy, which is a good thing because I think you can sit closer coming into the chicane. But they have made the chicane not quite as tight and I think it is easy to block, so I think you will be seeing less overtaking.

Q: What is your opinion on the Grand Prix weekend format for next season?
MS: I would rather speak about it when it is decided. Is there some decision done?

Q: It has been decided but not yet ratified by the world council.
MS: I think we have all heard many solutions.

Q: Does this year’s format need changing?
MS: Maybe a bit more sleep on Saturday would be good. Honestly, if you see the first cars have to go out on Friday, have to face the dirty circuit – what does it mean? It means as much as when the cars have different fuel on board. You don’t know in what state they are. You don’t really know, 70-80 per cent of the time, what is the competition level.
JB: Friday doesn’t really mean too much, does it? But then again, you don’t really know who’s quick and who’s not on Saturday, so it’s very very difficult for the watching public to understand why a certain car is further back or further forward than it should be. I think a change next year could liven things up even more.

Q: Michael, you’ve had so many adversaries come and go. It’s been a long time since you have had to race Jacques, but your thoughts on him as a competitor?
MS: I think he was quite strong, in particular in the last races when the conditions were clear. He was very strong. He was obviously still adapting, that there were certain moments when he wasn’t yet fully into the system of Formula One, but whenever he was, he was going very well.

Q: Michael, you’ve had some very high moments this year. What have been the high points this year, not necessarily races that you’ve won; any one moment that gave you particular happiness?
MS: Certainly there are, indeed they were probably usually with the victories but probably even the race at Silverstone.

Q: Michael, 37 grand prixs without any technical failure. Is the explanation that you have a certainly feeling, special preparation at Ferrari or back-up systems?
MS: I think I just have a good team, which is very methodic, very precise and they just do a master job. That’s it.

Friday

·  Ove Anderson (Toyota)
·  Patrick Head (Williams)
·  Peter Sauber (Sauber)
·  Paul Stoddart (Minardi)
·  Geoff Willis (BAR)

First of all, a question to all of you. We’ve seen the race weekend schedule for next year and I think it’s fair to say that the press room is not impressed: there’s nothing for the small teams, no cost cutting, nothing competitive on Fridays. And yet we’ve had a fantastic championship this year and there’s a certain feeling of ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ Your comments please, what do you feel about the changes being proposed, and why have they been proposed?
Ove ANDERSSON: There has obviously been a lot of discussion about this but the final result is the weekend proposed as it is being proposed, is voted through the Formula One Commission, so it’s not really a pure team decision. There are sponsors included in the decision, race promoters and so on. I feel that the teams are not really the marketing people of Formula One; it’s a common solution which I suppose would be the ideal one otherwise promoters would have said something against it.

Do you share the concerns that I’ve outlined, Patrick, for example?
Patrick HEAD: I agree with Ove. It isn’t something in which we’ve had much of an input. There were a couple of meetings at Indianapolis but I think the agenda was being set elsewhere by people who have maybe more direct interests in what they can sell on Friday or what they can sell on Saturday. In a way, I certainly didn’t like the two different testing agreements, but I can readily see why, for the less strongly budgeted teams, being able to test for two hours on the Friday morning was extremely helpful and we, Williams, were in support of Friday being a test day of say four or four and a half hours, and restricted testing, but there were other people with different interests. But just as for this year, we really didn’t have any say in the changes from last year to this year but we got out there and the teams have done a very good job of adapting to race preparation in two and a half hours and we’ll adapt for next year. But it isn’t a decision in which we’ve participated.

Geoff, are there technical, tactical and design concerns in the new regulations?
Geoff WILLIS: The biggest change next year is clearly the single engine regulation, and there will be a trade-off trying to minimise mileage versus maximising the benefit of having two hours running on the Friday. A couple of things about the regulations still need to be clarified. Certainly they would apply to us. We don’t fully understand what the tyre allocation issue is going to be for the third driver on Friday and would we be forced to use the third driver for the rest of the weekend? We are not quite sure what the implications will be for the engine. The two qualifying sessions on Saturday; we are probably going to need a bit more time between them but these are small details. I think, very much like Patrick says, it’s different but I’m sure we’ll find the correct solution and we’ll work around it. I don’t think it really offers anything particularly strange from a technical point of view.

Paul, there may still be grey areas, as Geoff just mentioned.
Paul STODDART: Well there is. But going back to your original question, I think it’s very sad. Last year we were accused of having a boring championship. This year we’ve got both championships going to the wire. We’ve got a situation where Formula One has transformed itself in twelve months and we go and change it all. Last year there was much talk about initiatives to the small teams and as Patrick touched upon and I can testify too, the biggest disadvantage is budgets and clearly that two hours on a Friday morning enormously helped the small teams. It’s been taken away. What it has been replaced with doesn’t really help the small teams. Yes, the bottom six can run a third car if they chose to do so but there are a few little stings in the tail, like a super licence. For instance, the Japanese driver who was driving with Jordan today probably would not have been able to do so under the new regs. Certainly two of the drivers I’ve used this year would not have been able to under the new regulations. I think it’s defeating the purpose of what we did last year. Last year we gave the little guys a bit of a chance. The Heathrow (agreement) street sweepers or track sweepers as we were called, it proved to be the right choice for many teams and I think it’s really, really sad to see it disappear.

Peter SAUBER: Of course, we prefer the Heathrow agreement. We like to change to this testing agreement, but on the other hand, it’s very difficult to bring all the ideas together, the ideas about the race weekend were so different and also the interests of the teams and that’s normal.

So having had a very good championship this year, wouldn’t it have been better just to leave it as it was?
PSa: Maybe we can change something because the first idea was to improve the whole weekend, especially for the spectators, on the track and the spectators at home. But now it’s similar.

Another one for you all. It’s been a very close championship this year. Is that because of the regulation changes or has it been because of normal development?
OA: I think that question is very difficult to answer. Generally speaking, I believe that the championship, due to the new qualifying regulations, doing qualifying with the fuel and so on, has mixed up the grid and has been making races very interesting. So probably the rule changes have had a big influence to achieve that.

PH: I think the main influence has been that there have been three and sometimes four teams running competitively and that wasn’t the case. We were able to qualify well in one lap last year but we weren’t able to sustain that. The degradation of our tyres was much worse than with the Ferrari and so it promised to deceive really. Now there are three, sometimes four. I think the Renault is probably competitive at every circuit now, certainly the engine no longer seems to be as far behind as it was at the beginning of the season. I think last year the Ferrari was just head and shoulders above the other cars and however you mixed up the regulations you were still going to get a similar outcome.

GW: Probably we’ve seen more varied effect of the tyre battle this year. There hasn’t been such a consistent benefit one way or the other and it has depended on circuits and on conditions. And also, yes, there are more teams competing at a close to equal level technically so I think that’s mixed it up. I personally don’t think the qualifying has made any real difference to the outcome of the championship.

PSt: Certainly there have been more competitive teams in the top four, they are just that, they are the top four and they are out on their own. But look at the midfield. There are five teams vying for sixth place in the championship and I think that’s where we have seen a bit more of a benefit from the rules. I think it’s tightened the midfield up to a very close fight and in the top teams, tyres, there’s no doubt, have played a part. But overall, we’ve just had a much more interesting championship for many and varied reasons. The results are there to be seen.

PSa: Maybe the new rules about points for the championship have made some difference, especially for Michael. The qualifying? I don’t know, maybe it’s more interesting, also for the teams, the strategy is important, maybe not today but at the beginning of the season.

Ove, the testing agreement of 48 days. Do you understand that to be 48 car days or 48 on which you can test in multiple locations?
OA: I understand it to be 48 days, not car days.

So you could be testing three cars in different locations on those days?
OA: As it stands now, this is how I understand. It could be a misinterpretation from my side, but that’s what I thought was the proposal, yes.

Toyota, this being their home race, how much pressure is on here, what sort of expectations are there?
OA: Well, of course there is the expectation that we should do well. I don’t know if I can say that there is more pressure than usual, because if you are racing and you are involved in racing you always want to do well. But here, maybe, we have the whole board watching what we are doing and it adds a little bit extra pressure, sure. I think my colleague (GW) at the other side of the table has the same problem.

Patrick, obviously you’re in with a shout in the Constructors’ championship so do you approach this weekend any differently?
PH: Not really. We hope the outcome is rather more favourable to us than Indianapolis was, where we made a bit of a mess of it in a number of ways. We’ve got to score four more points than Ferrari and the easiest way to do that is to finish first and second, so that’s certainly our target.

What does such an experienced team as yours learn from your Indianapolis race?
PH: We’ve still got some things to learn, I think. (Laughter).

Anything in particular?
PH: Well, obviously both drivers made their own individual errors. Ralf’s, when he was in a reasonably good position, was terminal and Juan’s certainly affected the outcome of his race. But we then made some other strategic decisions that weren’t ideal and obviously, at the moment, the conditions were favourable to Bridgestone’s light weather tyre. But that’s something that’s existed for quite some time and it’s something that Michelin have obviously got to get to grips with. I think Raikkonen drove a perfect race, and had it been dry, I’m not sure he would have won, but he probably would have finished ahead of Michael and certainly the wet weather resulted in his second place.

Geoff, Honda pressure here, and expectations?
GW: Well, certainly a number of reasons for pressure here. It’s our home Grand Prix in a number of ways, certainly the tie-up between Honda and Suzuka circuit and Honda have a big plant here. In terms of importance, certainly we are pushing very hard to get back to fifth place in the championship. Clearly it’s just as important to do well here as it was at any other race this year and if we don’t succeed in what we’re trying to do, getting that fifth place, it won’t just be because of failing here it will be because of failing earlier in the year.

You’ve had a driver change here as well. What are your thoughts on Jacques’ departure and Takuma’s sparkling arrival?
GW: Yes, certainly we had little notice of Jacques’ decision. I heard yesterday on the train at about eleven o’clock in the morning after a telephone conversation between Craig Pollock and David Richards. Takuma has settled in very well. I think he’s done a very good job today. We went through our programme today without error and a good safe but not too conservative qualifying lap this afternoon. Certainly we’ve all worked with Takuma. He’s been testing for us this year and he knows the ropes, he knows the procedures, he knows the engineers, he knows the mechanics and he knows the circuit very well, so in some ways it’s been a gentle way in for him, but despite that, it’s been big pressure for him and I think he’s done a very good job today.

Q: How much has he grown up in the last year, would you say?
GW: It’s difficult to make an answer there. He’s certainly very easy to get on with, intelligent, perceptive and we’ve certainly enjoyed working with him and we’re looking forward to working with him next year.

Q: Paul, a couple of questions to you. On the Minardi’s bargeboard is printed ‘not paid’ over one of your sponsors, Stayer. Could you tell us the story behind that?
PSt: It’s a bit of a sad story actually. Many of you know that we had a problem with the main sponsor at the start of the year and lost forty percent of our budget through no fault of our own and one or two others we’ve had problems with during the year. This particular one, despite repeated warnings and bounced cheques and, God knows, every other problem, I took the decision to put that on there today more or less just to send the message out that really you ought not to sign contracts if you don’t intend to honour them.

Q: Another question is about the potential Italian investors. Have they been to the factory and where are they?
PSt: Good question! If you know, you might like to tell me. Most teams have silly seasons over drivers. Minardi and sometimes Jordan seem to have silly seasons over investors and ownership. I’ve made no secret of the fact that if the right deal came along which I felt could take Minardi further than I could, then I would be interested in it. But thus far we’ve just had a lot of time-wasters and one or two individuals that perhaps were serious but for one reason or another have not chosen to go forwards. So the answer is simply that there are no current negotiations on-going as we speak to do anything other than get on with racing next year.

Q: Now you’ve had a couple of back-to-back tests between your current car and the Arrows that you bought. What’s the situation with that?
PSt: Well, we’ve done two tests now and a few of the results are quite impressive. But I think where it’s leading to is that we’ll end up a new car that is the best of both worlds. We’ve certainly learned a few things from the Arrows chassis but we’ve also learned that a year is a long time in Formula One. I think a lot of people thought that the Arrows chassis would annihilate the Minardi chassis and that simply wasn’t the case. Perhaps our guys, on what little budget they’ve had, have done a better job than what I’ve given them credit for.

Q: Peter, what was the feeling within the team after your good result in Indianapolis?
Psa: We were very, very lucky, I think, with the weather. We improved with the tyres, of course, the Bridgestone tyres are much better in these conditions and for the team it was a big, big step forwards and we were very, very lucky.

Q: Since then, you’ve announced that the two drivers will not be staying this year. Earlier this year, you said there was nothing wrong with the drivers. Why get rid of them?
PSa: No, we are very happy with both our drivers but I have been fighting for three years to get Giancarlo Fisichella to drive for us and now it’s OK. And Jason Winton has been a real star at Jaguar and I am looking forward to having him competing with our team in 2004, I am expecting a lot from him.”

Japanese GP - Suzuka Time Table
Saturday, December 20

* This time is set in Australian Time - Eastern Australia Time Zone
(GMT + 10.00 Brisbane)

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