The results of the 2002 Italian Grand Prix would see Jaguar's Eddie Irvine give Michelin a fine third place after an excellent drive. For Irvine and the Jaguar team it was only the second podium finish in the team's three-year existence.

For the Michelin-shod BMW WilliamsF1 drivers, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, their race would end in retirement. Ralf would take the lead at the start but had to pull off with a blown engine at the end of lap three. Montoya was running third behind the Ferraris when he suffered an apparent suspension problem on lap thirty three. McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen would also retire with engine failure just after half-distance.

For Renault Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button would finish in fourth and fifth places while McLaren's David Coulthard would finish seventh. The Scot had to make a pit stop for a new nose at the end of the opening lap after running into team-mate Raikkonen during the first-chicane scramble.

Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin Motorsport Director, answered several questions.

There was a wave of optimism among Michelin teams after yesterday's exceptional qualifying performance, but victory eluded you in the race. Were there any particular problems?

"Not at all. We know in this business that things can always change when the race comes around. We were unlucky that the Williams-BMWs had problems. Ralf Schumacher was leading initially but had to drop out with an engine problem and pole position winner Juan Pablo Montoya had a number of concerns. It happens. We also lost Kimi Raikkonen, who was well placed to give us a strong finish. On the plus side, we were delighted by the performance of Eddie Irvine, who thoroughly deserved to give Jaguar a podium finish. In addition the Renault drivers ran very strongly and David Coulthard was setting fast and consistent lap times in his McLaren. He recovered well after losing so much time with his early, unscheduled stop."

Generally how would you summarise the weekend?

"It was clear that we had a tyre that was fantastic in yesterday's qualifying session and also enabled several of our partner teams to perform exceptionally well today. We didn't add to our F1 victory tally but we picked up more useful data that will be beneficial in future."

The next stop is Indianapolis. How will Michelin approach that race?

"It is a track unlike any other. It has a very technical section, with some Monaco-style corners, and then there is the long straight, which is reminiscent of the circuit here at Monza. It requires quite a delicate balance to produce a tyre that suit s both extremes but we managed to do a very good job at Indy last season. We are presently working on new compounds that will be suitable for the United States GP."

Pascal Vasselon, Formula One project chief, added:

"It is a shame that we lost some of our regular front-running cars, but those that completed the distance performed very well. The Jaguars and the Renaults both ran strongly on our tyres. Jaguar has made giant steps forward in recent races and has gained two places in the world championship for constructors, while Renault has consolidated its fourth place. Toyota might have made progress, too, because Mika Salo was well placed to finish in the points until he picked up a drive-through penalty."