Japanese GP Ferrari race notes

Jean Todt
"This was a marvellous way to bring a great season to a close. This was Michael's ninth win of the season, giving him the record for the most number of points and allowing Ferrari to beat its own record for the most number of points in one season. I wish to thank Rubens for the great contribution he has made to the team. He has finished third in the Drivers' Championship at the end of a faultless year. I am also happy with Sauber's result, finishing fourth, powered by Ferrari. Now we head to Monza to meet our fans next weekend, where we will be able to celebrate with them and Ferrari owners. It will be great to share their delight with these successes. To celebrate winning both titles this year, we came up with a rather special cap, with two peaks, to thank our drivers for the exceptional work they have done this year. The idea was to give them equal billing. I would also like to say a special thank you to Luca Badoer, who has played such an important role this year. Finally, I would also like to express our gratitude to Bridgestone and Shell, along with all our sponsors and technical partners, without whose support none of this would have been possible."

Michael Schumacher
"This was the perfect end to the season, because winning the final race is just what you need before the long winter break. Monza and Indianapolis were difficult, but this was a great end to a great season and it is wonderful for the team. As for the race, we had an advantage in the first few laps, which came from our tyres, which then remained very consistent after that. I was surprised at the gap I built up in the early laps, but at that point we were not sure if Williams were on a one or a two stop strategy. For the last two stints, I was unable to use the advantage of having new tyres, because every time I came out of the pits I was stuck behind Mika. At one point, I went straight on at the chicane and so I backed off for the rest of that lap. Today we had a good package and perfect tyres. As for the season as a whole, we were dominant for the first two races, but after that, it was very tight and we had to fight hard. We were helped in winning the championships early by the fact that David had some reliability problems. I feel sorry for Rubens, who was unlucky today. We did have a plan for me to help him. He would try and pass the Williams and then I would let him pass to win. But when he was unable to get by, there was no point in me sacrificing my race. Have a good time, until we all meet again next year."

Rubens Barrichello
"In order to win, we had to try something special, like going for a three stop strategy. Unfortunately, this did not pay off. The Williams were very quick down the straight and I could not stay ahead of Montoya when I was running my best set of tyres. Then I lost more time during my final stop, when the engine cut out. That meant I was no longer in with a chance of even getting on the podium. All the same, I enjoyed my battle with Montoya, although I think Ralf went a bit over the top in our fight together."

-Ferrari-