By Karl King
August 1 2005

Ralf talks about his race at the Hungaroring in the Top-Three Press Conference post-race. The team equalled their best 2-car points haul with a P3+P4.

Q: Ralf, congratulations on your first podium for Toyota. A great drive, a three-stop strategy and running strong all afternoon.
Ralf SCHUMACHER: Yeah, I mean I must say the team did a great job over the weekend. I must admit that I was not 100 percent positive about our strategy we chose, but the chief engineer was right to take it, so thanks to him! It was a great weekend for us, being third and fifth in qualifying, the car went great, the pit stops were perfect, so it was all good.

Q: What were your queries? To do with how you qualify with different fuel loads or how you split the race after you had opted for a three-stop strategy?
RS: Again, it is a difficult task here. For the tyre, we expected such a high temperature and you never know, it was a balance of looking after the tyre but not being first in the pits and still having a reasonable qualifying position. We have had a lot of comments about us being good in qualifying and not able to maintain position in the race but I think we shocked people today that we are able to go as fast as anyone else except maybe McLaren. But they are driving in a different world at the moment anyway.

Q: And how was that Ferrari in the closing laps?
RS: Well, you could see he was doing the pace he needed to and out of the final corner he had a really good exit so there was no chance to really get him on the straight and I was waiting for a mistake, which he didn’t do.

Q: Ralf, third and fourth, a good afternoon for Toyota.
RS: Oh, yes, very good. I think we made the best out of this whole situation, the whole weekend, basically. It was a great qualifying, good finish so it was a good weekend for us.

Q: You were hit by Rubens in the first corner; were there any lasting effects of that?
RS: No, luckily not. The very tight first turn, everybody tries to get in first and go out first, so things sometimes happen.

Q: Then you overtook Jarno at the first stop; how did that happen?
RS: Simply because he pitted a lap earlier. I knew we were on slightly different strategies, I mean, one lap, actually I think it was two laps. That’s why. If you pit early, I could go the pace, had no traffic, that’s why I got him.

Questions from the floor:

Q: (Frank Schneider – Abendzeitung) Question to all three of you: What will you do for the few days before the next race, holidays or what?
KR: I don’t know yet. We will see what happens but something fun.

MS: Prepare myself for Turkey.

RS: Yes, just a few days off with the family, that’s all.

Q: (Frank Schneider – Abendzeitung) Is it something special to have a brother on the podium?
MS: It always is, yes. We have been celebrating plenty of podiums together. I think it’s the first time we’ve been on the rostrum together since he’s been with Toyota, so it’s obviously more special for him now.

RS: Nothing to add.

Ralf's first of '05

Q: (Jose Maria Rubio – RV Racing Press) Ralf, what happened with Fernando in the first corner, did you see Fernando when you closed in?
RS: I what?

Q: What happened with Fernando?
RS: Nothing happened. I turned into the first corner. Was he there?

Q: You touched Alonso’s front wing.
RS: Did I? I didn’t realise that. Sorry.