26.08.2003 AFTER HUNGARIAN DEBACLE FERRARI PRESIDENT LUCA DI MONTEZEMOLO LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

"This is a crucial time for Ferrari, as our competitors, denied victory for several years, are very strong. But a performance and incidents like those we witnessed yesterday, must never be repeated and we are all agreed on this." Luca Montezemolo did not need to sound the charge, Ferrari is tackling the tension by getting on with the job and everyone at Maranello is pulling together. 

The Scuderia president arrived at the Gestione Sportiva at 10 this morning, staying until around one in the afternoon, having met all the heads of department. As usual, Montezemolo did not shy away from tackling the problems head on, with determination. "We know very well, as we have always maintained, that staying at the top after four successful years would be very difficult against very strong opponents, denied victory for so long," said Montezemolo in the Gestione Sportiva. "But after a day like yesterday each one of us must discuss the situation and strive for perfection in every area of activity, working calmly and in determined fashion." 

The President is well aware that his mechanics, engineers and technical staff left the 18th Hungarian Grand Prix with a bad taste in their mouths, but the problems were tackled head on from the start to the finish of the race. "A performance and incidents like those we witnessed in Budapest must not be repeated and everyone in the post-race meeting agreed on this point." Furthermore he added: "I know I can count on a team which has always reacted without panic in difficult times, working flat out to win." 

As is his habit, Montezemolo looked to the future, refusing to be discouraged and preferring to look on the positive side. "I know we have the best driver in the world in Michael, who still leads the championship and a team-mate like Rubens who even yesterday, while still in the race, showed his true worth. We ask our technical partners to put in an extraordinary effort to respond to the strong competition in order to be as competitive as possible." 

Now it is a case of working without recrimination and the idea that the team should not give up seems out of place as that idea is instinctive within the entire team. "It is a crucial moment for Ferrari on the eve of the last three races of the season. It will be a very close fight and we hope that this summer, characterised by record high temperatures which has caused so much suffering, is also over. In Monza I want to see a return to winning form for the Ferrari-Bridgestone tandem, which has won seven world titles and 45 Grands Prix from 1999 until now." 

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

Meanwhile as a driver, Michael Schumacher has learnt a lot in a career rich in success, but also marked by a few difficult moments. He has definitely learnt to stay calm in critical times. Therefore, after the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, where everything that could go wrong did, the World Champion prefers to look ahead rather than back.

“The 2003 Formula 1 season is now entering its decisive phase, with three drivers very close in the order, so from now on we must concentrate very hard. Budapest was a negative weekend and obviously, after the race, I was pretty disappointed, especially as I expected more after practice on Friday and Saturday,” explained Michael. “Unfortunately, a few things went wrong in qualifying and the race, so we were unable to show our true potential. However, I am convinced that we can still get a lot more out of our package and we will try and do that in the remaining races. “In the first week of September, we have an intensive test programme to undertake with lots of things to try out in all areas. Our team is strong and united, so I am confident. You can feel that everyone is motivated to do their best in this fight for the title. Team spirit is one of our strong points. Like everyone in the team, I believe in our ability.”

The testing ban continues this week and like the other Formula 1 drivers, Michael will be able to spend a few days relaxing with his family. Starting next Tuesday, the German will take part in testing at Monza, before heading for the Nurburgrinig and that Sunday’s Michael Schumacher Fan Day, along with all his fans. 

It is understandable that Michael is really keen to get back to work behind the wheel. “We will work hard and prepare for the final three races,” said Michael. “The title race has become very close. I have never shied away from a fight and even now I am ready to fight for the championship. I am convinced we will make significant progress and we will be able to attack again.”

JEAN TODT

“Very disappointing” was the way Ferrari team principal Jean Todt described the outcome of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, when Michael Schumacher scored just one point for the team and Rubens Barrichello retired with a suspension failure.

“We knew it was not going to be an easy race but we were expecting better,” said Todt. “Rubens has now retired twice in a row, Michael scored two points being seventh(in Hockenheim) and one point being eighth so we’ve scored three points in the last two races. It’s not very rewarding, but saying that, that’s the job.”
But Todt never forgets just how good things have been in the past. “On the one hand, if we analyse the past four years it’s been a fantastic achievement; to take the last two races is a terrible disappointment, so you have to judge the whole thing. If you see that Michael did not score a lot of points for four or five races, nevertheless, he’s still leading the Drivers’ championship by one point. It’s unpleasant but after 13 races, if you take 13 races altogether it’s not so bad, but still, we lost the lead in the Manufacturers’ championship today; the opposition’s tough, we know, so we’re not surprised by that and there are still three races to go.”

However, Todt is optimistic when it comes to the future, particularly as there is a big three day test at Monza prior to the Italian Grand Prix in three weeks’ time. Ferrari are taking three cars and they will also be testing at Fiorano at the same time. “I think we will know quite well where we are. We need to see how the development programme goes in Monza. We have a lot of tyres we are going to test with Bridgestone and then we will know where we are, but I think it will be a bit too early to say that the season is over. I think we will fight and we still have good chances to succeed. But if you look back at Silverstone, it was a big domination for Ferrari, so it can happen - I don’t say it will happen - but it can happen.”

But when asked which of his rivals would be easier to beat, Todt also graphically noted the unpredictability of this year’s championship. “It depends on a lot of things, from one race to another. If you take the trend of the last races, Williams BMW have definitely scored more points, but sometimes this year you have seen one car or team on another planet. That was the case of Alonso today, it happened with Montoya three weeks ago, it happened to Rubens in Silverstone, and I think Raikkonen had a very strong lead at the Nurburgring.”

Todt also revealed that Rubens Barrichello’s crashed due to the failure of the left rear top wishbone in the suspension. He also said that Michael had been almost running out of fuel when he pitted for the second time. “The engine didn’t really cut until he was stopped at the pits. We lost seven seconds altogether, four during the pit stop and three on the out lap.”

Todt refused to lay the blame for recent performances on the team’s tyre company, Bridgestone, nor accept that their rivals were better. “You know it would be very unfair to give all credit to one tyre company or to say that it’s because of another tyre company that we don’t do well, because, as I said earlier, we won so many races thanks to them, so you have to see the whole picture.”

Indeed, Todt said that the new tyre rules were perhaps advantageous to Ferrari, even though they might be complicated for Bridgestone. “Probably some teams will get some advantage out of it. I think Bridgestone have been focussing more on developing the tyres with us because we are probably more the point of reference for them, and probably the other tyre company has more points of reference. But I don’t want to say that that is an advantage or disadvantage, it’s just like that.”

Finally, Todt admitted that, in the face of this massive challenge, Michael Schumacher is “very focussed, spending some time with his family, doing a lot of training but he doesn’t like to come back home with only one point. He has done that for many years so he knows it can happen. That’s why he has remained humble, with his feet on the ground because he knows what it means. He was disappointed, we are all disappointed, but it doesn’t give lap time to be disappointed, so we have to digest that and work for the next one.”