British GP Ferrari race notes

Michael Schumacher: 3rd, + 19.917 s, 60 laps, chassis no. 200
Rubens Barrichello: R, 35 laps, chassis no. 199

Temperatures: air 11/14 °C, track 18/25 °C

Jean Todt:
“Above all, I am disappointed for Rubens who was having a great race. Much of the outcome was decided at the start, especially for Michael. He made a good start but got hemmed in on the first lap. We had planned for a one stop race and it proved to be the right choice. After a great start which saw him lead, Rubens suffered a high pressure hydraulic system problem which forced him to retire. After spending 33 laps behind a slower car, Michael managed to finish third and pick up valuable points for the championship. We know that in the current situation we are trading points with another team and every opportunity missed gives our main competitors an advantage. Now we have to discover what caused the problem on Rubens’ car and we will concentrate on not letting any more points slip from our grasp.”

Michael Schumacher:
“I had a good start, but there were cars everywhere around me! I considered going up the grass but given all the rain we have had, I decided against it. I had a good fight with Ralf for the first two corners, which I enjoyed. Then I got almost alongside him at Bridge and I decided to back off as I did not want to crash with my brother. I thought my chance would come later, but it did not. I spent much of the race in eighth place and I was wondering if I was fighting for nothing. But if you don’t give up then you can get somewhere. I was stuck behind Villeneuve, because with roughly the same amount of fuel and with him having good speed, it was impossible to pass. But thanks to a good car I was able to catch the others. So, at the end of the day I am very happy to have finished third.”

Rubens Barrichello:
“I am very sad, because I had the opportunity of taking my first grand prix win. Around five or six laps before I retired I started to feel there was something wrong with the car. Then I began to have problems with the clutch and the throttle. That is why Coulthard managed to pass me. I spun because of the erratic behaviour of the engine, which almost died on the entry into the corner, before the power suddenly came in again. I decided to pit, but there was nothing to be done. It was a problem with the high pressure hydraulic circuit, similar to the one in Brazil, but for a different reason.”