Monaco GP: Ferrari race notes

Michael second, David Coulthard won the race

Jean Todt

"We were expecting a difficult race, given how hard it is to overtake at this track, and that's how it turned out. All in all we are satisfied with the result, which has allowed us to slightly extend our lead in both Championships. Thanks to Bridgestone, we had the quickest car-tyre package, but the nature of the track prevented us from exploiting that."

"I am sorry for Rubens, who despite a strong performance could not do better than seventh place. His grid position and loss of two places at the start instantly put him in a difficult position, which was further complicated by the accident and the double penalty that followed. Michael drove a perfect race and did everything possible. We set out on the next stage of the championship knowing that, thanks to the car and the Bridgestone tyres, we have the potential to win more races."

Michael Schumacher

"I think our car was fast enough to have stayed in front if we had got there, but David had built a good lead over Montoya. If there had not been some traffic after the pit stop, it might have been closer, but they did a good job and deserve the win. I kept pushing right to the end because in Monaco you never know what can happen, but David drove well and never gave me a chance. It was typical Monaco in that even if you know you are faster you just have to be patient. Actually it was quite entertaining watching Juan Pablo. The car was good today and the backmarkers did a good job of keeping out of the way."

Rubens Barrichello

"In the end it was a boring race. When you have a car which you know is capable of winning and you are stuck behind slower cars it is frustrating. At the start, I lost two places and from then on I had to try and move forward. At one point, I spotted an opportunity to pass Raikkonen. I went from the outside to the inside and as he braked, he closed the door on me. There was nothing I could do and I ran into him. I have to thank the team for building a really strong car, as after the accident, I was able to continue and the car was still very quick, even if it had a bit of oversteer. It's a race to forget, because as I said earlier, I had a winning car."

Michael Schumacher 2nd +1"050
78 laps
chassis no. 219

Rubens Barrichello: 7th +1 lap
77 laps
chassis no. 220

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