By Greig Murray
July 6 2002

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Post qualifying press conference

1. Juan Pablo Montoya
2. Rubens Barrichello
3. Michael Schumacher

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Question: Juan Pablo, a fantastic lap right at the end, where did it come from?
Juan Pablo Montoya: I honestly don't know. We did a lot of changes with the car. We didn't get much running with the car, so we were going backwards and forwards and I only got a run this morning, so through qualifying we were basically balancing the car. Then right at the end we seemed to get it. We did a few changes, we were doing three changes at a time. The balance was good but to be honest, I don't know where it came from. I don't mind!

Question: Fourth pole in a row, but you have yet to convert that into a win. The problems seem to have been tyres. Have you got over that problem.
Juan Pablo Montoya: I've got to say that Michelin have been working really hard. You can't say they are doing a bad job with four poles in a row, I don't think that's bad at all. It's just that the other tyres seem to be a bit more consistent. This is what we've got to deal with and we try to make it better tomorrow.

Question: Rubens, well done but you had to abort your first run. Why was that?
Rubens Barrichello: Well, there was a lot of smoke into Becketts and I didn't know what to expect so I had to back off. I kept on running and then I had a lot of traffic so I decided to abort it. I had quite a busy session because on the second run my forward seat belt came undone and I had to finish the lap but it was pretty much on the edge. But then I eventually had a fantastic third run which is my time and then I chose to have a fourth run, when I had a little bit of traffic. I don't know if I could have gone faster or not but there was big traffic.

Question: It looked very busy in those last few minutes, was it quite hectic?
Rubens Barrichello: Well, Silverstone is always like that for some reason. Everyone chooses to go right at the end. There are some drivers who are good on traffic and some others who are not.

Question: Michael, why did you choose to do your first run so early?
Michael Schumacher: Just so as to be able to have enough time to be able to change the car.

Question: We noticed before your last run that you were animated in the garage and that they changed your nose section; was there a particular problem?
Michael Schumacher: No, we were just trying to get the balance and I think we had to change the nose to achieve that without really changing anything in particular.

Question: You are getting quite used to starting behind or next to Juan Pablo. I take it you are taking the same level of confidence into the race as you've had some strength there in the last few races.
Michael Schumacher: Yes, naturally after losing in qualifying, that's what you have to do.

Question: JPM, looking forward to the race, do you think you're perhaps going to take a more aggressive strategy to try and keep these guys behind you. Obviously they've tended to run very light recently; might you match that?
Juan Pablo Montoya: Well, we have to wait and see. It's what the team always aims for, to be the quickest car and the fastest way to finish a race. We haven't tested so much on old tyres but we will do our best tomorrow.

Question: Well done Juan Pablo. Even though it was your fourth successive pole, it sounds like this one was a bit of a surprise.
Juan Pablo Montoya: It was a big surprise to be honest. I really was expecting to get to the end of the second row. From what we saw in testing when we came here to test I managed to do about five laps in the dry so, I mean, I didn't have a clue about the balance of the car or anything and from then on we just made big changes to try to change a lot on the car. It was very understeery, and the last one, it was a bit oversteery in high speed but it goes quick.

Question: When you saw the sector times come up, what were your feelings?
Juan Pablo Montoya: To be honest, sector two last run was 51.5 or something and the previous run I did 52.6 but when I went by I looked at the last number on it because I thought it was going to be a bit quicker, and I looked at the time and I said huh, only a tenth quicker. And it was nearly a second quicker.

Question: Apparently the rear end stability has improved. Is that true?
Juan Pablo Montoya: Yeah. I think it's a lot more stable. We have got a new aero package and having that and putting the car on pole here I think it is great for the team and everybody back in the factory. It's like their home race and it is good to make it a good show.

Question: The other thing you were looking for was consistency in the tyres. You did some longer runs this morning, did you find that consistency was better?
Juan Pablo Montoya: It's been getting better. It has been getting a lot better. I don't think it's not at the height of the other tyre, but I think Michelin has done a fantastic job with the tyres here, you know, fourth pole and everything, but there is still got a long way to go.

Question: So are you feeling more confidence for this one than the previous three?
Juan Pablo Montoya: I would be happy to get to the end of the race and get some more points because I haven't got any points lately.

Question: So points will be enough?
Juan Pablo Montoya: Of course, I want to win the race but first you have got to finish.

Question: Rubens, your good friend here went and pipped you right at the end. What about your last run?
Rubens Barrichello: Obviously when you choose to go at the last minute you pray when you go down the pit lane for nobody to get out in front of you and obviously I just saw the two Toyotas coming in front of me and it is a bit of a laugh. You have to look in the mirror because you have to be polite with people. But at the same time you want to get by them. I mean Michael was going quite slow, I wish I could have gone a bit faster but I didn't want to overtake Michael as well because there was no point in doing so. I had to give a bit of space to him and eventually I think the tyres were a little bit too cold for me in the way I took turn one and it was a bit spoiled in the fourth run and I had a bit of traffic as well. But my third run was quite good, so I had not much to complain. Juan Pablo got it together on the very last run, so it is a pity that we are not on the pole, but we are still up there.

Question: It looked like Michael had a wing change as well. Did that help?
Rubens Barrichello: Yeah, it did help. The changes we made through the qualifying were quite good. The first and second I didn't get it because of various reasons. The thing with the seatbelt, I was really loose inside the car, but the third run was a good one.

Question: Michael, are you a bit disappointed? How crucial is it to be well up the grid here?
Michael Schumacher: It depends how the race goes. If you find a good strategy, if you're faster to get by - fine. If not, you're in trouble and you would have been better off on pole.

Question: Were you losing time in the final sector in slower corners?
Michael Schumacher: I think I lost in the second and in the third sector both together. I don't know which one was the worst one. We didn't finally get the set-up 100 percent right to do these sectors. The first sector was always very good but we were struggling in the other sectors.

Question: Was that why you had the wing changes?
Michael Schumacher: Maybe.

Question: On the last run, did you have a moment down at Stowe? Did that you lose you time?
Michael Schumacher: As I said, the car wasn't balanced properly on the last run, so I had a couple of moments.

Question: Are you more confident for the race?
Michael Schumacher: I hope so. With these conditions, nobody has a clue where we are. We will find out tomorrow.

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