Monaco GP winners' press conference

Q Olivier, your first grand prix win, a fantastic race and the first Ligier victory since Canada in 1981 when Jacques Laffite won. You must be incredibly pleased?

OP Yes, the race is very difficult. I is very happy for the team and for every sponsor. In the moments the Ligier team it is very difficult because there is many change. With the mechanics, every team man, me are pushing very, very hard for improve the car. The car is a little better every race. This race is very difficult race because the start of the race it's raining. My car is very good in wet. After change just the tyre, because it's a completely full tank in the start, no fuel, make the finish the race is very difficult because the fuel I don't know is finish the race because the fuel is less less, very difficult. The pit speak to me, slowly slowly Olivier and Olivier push very hard. It's very difficult.

Q You had a great battle with Eddie Irvine. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

OP Yes, the circuit is very difficult for overtake. It's three laps and overtake Eddie. Eddie is not very happy. I'm pushing, it is very important to overtake here. A little crash, a little. For me, it's no problem. It's a race.

Q Well done.

OP Thank you.

Q David, third in the European and second here today. You must be pleased but did you feel that you could have caught Olivier up at any stage?

DC Well, I think the car we had set-up a little bit for a wet race so as it dried out I had a little bit too much understeer, so Olivier was driving very hard and in the back of my mind was one thing of course trying to win the race and the other thing, realising that once I caught him, passing him was a completely different thing and 2nd place is a good result for McLaren.

Q We saw you driving with a Michael Schumacher replica helmet can you explain that?

DC Yeah, I thought that might cause some confusion, but I had a terrible problem in the warm up with my helmet. The visor was completely steamed up and I couldn't see after one lap and I didn't feel confident I could fix the problem, so I asked if I could borrow one of Michael's helmets and he was no problem to lend me one and we just covered his personal sponsors over and off I went.

Q Johnny, your first podium appearance for Sauber. It's the first time we've seen you since Suzuka. Was it the product of a good steady performance today or have things suddenly got better with the car?

JH Well I think the main thing is the reliability of the engine has been better since probably the first three races of the season, but generally I think it has improved slightly. We still need to improve a hell of a lot engine wise and with the car, but I think we are making small steps, but obviously we really want to make it quicker.

Q How was the start because it looked to be quite slippy?

JH Yeah, the start was okay for me but it was just so difficult, as you say, because it was so slippery and everybody was very, very bunched up so more or less wherever you were, it was very difficult to overtake but it was just basically trying to stay patient and then when it was coming for the first stop at least you knew you had a chance there of maybe doing a quick lap before you came in and maybe get in front of Jacques and Mika.

-- David Goodwin