Spanish GP Ferrari race notes

This was the third win of the season for Ferrari and for Michael Schumacher. This is the team's sixth victory in the Spanish Grand Prix and the 138th in the history of the Scuderia. Michael has now won 47 grands prix from 150 race starts.

Michael Schumacher:
"I have to say I feel very sorry for Mika. Until the last pit stop we had an entertaining race and then he jumped me at the last pit stop. I was shocked when I saw he had retired. This is not the way I like to win, but it has happened to me in the past and these things happen in racing. Up until the final pit stop, the car was going perfectly and after the first stop I was able to pull away from Mika. But although I had three new sets of tyres, my last set was not the same. I had a very bad vibration and I thought maybe the tyre was delaminating. So I slowed down, especially down the straight, as I was worried about a blow-out. We even talked about making a third pit stop. Then the vibration did not get any worse and I realised it was safe to go on. Because I had slowed my pace, that also meant it was harder for me to get through the traffic."

Rubens Barrichello:
"I think my retirement was due to a broken right rear suspension. I came up to turn 7 and in the braking area I lost control of the car and ended up off the track. My first thought was that I had a puncture and I came into the pits for a new set of tyres. But the car was still not right after that and so I decided to pull out. I am very disappointed, because the way things were going I was sure to finish on the podium. Even though I could not match the pace of the cars ahead, I was sure of keeping the place I was in at the end of the first lap. I did not make a perfect getaway, but I made up the lost ground at the first corner."

Jean Todt:
"Today's win was an important one, Michael's third this year and the first under the new regulations governing the use of electronics. After a good start, Michael held the lead for two thirds of the race. In the final third, Michael felt a vibration from the wheels which meant he could not go flat out . At this time, we had two possibilities: call him back to the pits for a another set of tyres, given the considerable gap to third place, or we could get him to slow his pace. Given there were very few laps left to run, we chose the second option. On the final lap, having driven a great race, Hakkinen handed him the win, which can happen in racing. I am sorry for Rubens, who was having a very good race and maintaining a consistent pace. He had to retire because of a rear suspension problem which had earlier caused him to go off the track. The race was very tight and difficult as we fought with our usual competitors."