San Marino GP Ferrari race notes

Michael Schumacher "To take Ferrari's first win here in Imola in sixteen years and my first win of the season is of course something very special. What made it even better was seeing the enthusiasm of the tifosi here in Italy. My compliments go to the team which did a fantastic job over the last few weeks and made this victory possible. We have been on the pace all weekend, so it seems we have managed to close the gap we saw at the first two races. But we still need further development to be really quicker than the rest. We are leading both championships, which is a much better situation than last year, so I am looking forward to Monaco. Our car should perform very well there also and once again a big thank you to our great team and all our supporters."

Eddie Irvine "I felt the engine tighten about 100 metres before it failed. It was a pity because this is the second consecutive race where I have missed out on an almost certain podium finish. In the early stages, I was having trouble with the car's handling as it was moving around a lot on the soft tyres. After that it stabilised and my lap times came down again. However, I am still second in the championship and we are looking in good shape for the next race."

Jean Todt (Team Manager) "This was a fantastic race. The only way to win was to go for a slightly risky strategy, but in the end it worked perfectly. I am very happy for the whole team, who have worked so hard both in the factory and here at the track. I am disappointed for Eddie who was looking set for a well deserved podium finish. Now we are already thinking about the next GP in Monaco. We know there is much to do, but I am sure everyone will work very hard, especially after this result."

Luca di Montezemolo (President, Ferrari) "Winning at Imola after sixteen years is down to having a strong team, both here at the track and back at the factory. The victory was also achieved thanks to a truly great driver."