Schumacher not expecting easy win

Michael Schumacher starts today's race from the front row alongside BMW-Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya and in front of his brother Ralf. A fortnight ago in Spa, the German had predicted that Williams would be very strong and competitive in Monza and so far he has been proved correct.

"The Williams ran very well both yesterday and today, consistently setting good lap times," said the World Champion after qualifying. "That suggest they will also be quick tomorrow and so the race should be very close. But I am confident, even if our chances of winning have to take into account their performance. Finding the right set-up will be fundamental in order to win and the tyres will also play a decisive role. In Spa, we saw that the Michelins were not great over a long distance. However, on this track their performance seems much closer to ours."

Was it engine performance that made the difference today? (Saturday) "I wouldn't say so. Our top speeds have been very good all weekend," continued Michael. "I don't think we can blame ourselves for anything in this area. For sure, the BMW engine boosts Williams' chance of winning, but ours is a fantastic engine and we should not be behind compared with theirs."

So did the circuit suit the Grove team better? "The aerodynamic package needed at this track does slightly favour the Williams, but we have seen that with additional aerodynamic downforce things get more difficult for them."

Schumacher was also asked how things were going with Chris Dyer as his race engineer. "It is not something completely new," revealed Michael. "Chris and I work alongside one another all year, so we know one another well. He is doing a great job."

-ferrari-