Post-race press conference - Malaysian GP - Pt.2.

Drivers: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren), Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) and Fernando Alonso (Renault)

Questions from the floor:

Q:
Kimi, congratulations. Do you believe in your heart that you will be world champion this season?

KR:
[Laughter] I really don't know. This is a long season still, and so far everything has been correct for us. Hopefully, it's going to be the same thing for the rest of the season. We're in quite a good position because we will have our new car hopefully when we start the European season and we can improve our speed even more

Q:
Fernando, how much did you notice your fever during the race itself or were you concentrating so hard that you didn't notice it?

FA:
I noticed! Unfortunately, the last part of the race, the last 20 or 25 laps, I felt quite bad and quite sick but you keep concentrated and you are pushing like crazy. I did 46 laps of qualifying. In the beginning, I fight with Kimi to keep a constant gap, the second stint with Rubens to give a little advantage for the second place, and then the third stint I was fighting with car a little bit, with the gearbox, so, you know, even if I felt a little bit ... I kept on pushing.

Q:
Fernando, after qualifying there was lot of speculation about, not only the difference between your car and the others, but also between yours and Jarno's. Because Jarno was out on the first lap, we don't know what the strategy was. Can you tell us what you were planning to do and what the difference was between the fuel weight of your car and Jarno's?

FA:
I don't know! [laughter] I think there was two or three laps' difference, that's normal, because both drivers cannot stop on the same lap. But we proved we had enough fuel to do our normal strategy of two stops, and all the people that said yesterday that we were very light on fuel and we would come in lap six or seven we, of course, proved wrong. We were competitive and I think Brazil will be very good for us and for our car.

Q:
Kimi, firstly, congratulations. It took Mika 96 tries, you 36. Are you proud of breaking his record?

KR:
Of course it's nice to get it earlier, in an earlier race, but still I feel that I have been a little bit unlucky not win last year or at the last race. Nevertheless, this has come now and I'm very happy. I haven't been counting how many races I have done, or how much everyone else has done before they have won their first race. I just have been trying to do my best and trying to win the race. Now it's come and, for sure, it should be much easier now because people are not asking me all the time 'when are you going to win your first race. It's easier now.

Q:
A little question to Rubens. Rubens, next race, obviously at home. From what you've seen so far, what can you do there?

RB:
We knew that Michelin would be quite competitive here. We felt we had a good package. The car was running quite nicely. I have no complaints. I think the team did a superb job with the strategy. The Bridgestone tyre was running fantastically well. It could have been different if it was not for the first lap, but there was now way, so I'm quite happy with the situation. Brazil is going to be quite a hot race as well, but I'm feeling quite optimistic for my home race.

Q:
Fernando, when did you become aware of the fact that you were the youngest ever pole position winner?

FA:
For me, it doesn't matter if you're the youngest or not. I'm pretty happy to be the youngest man, because I started in go-karts so early. I raced in Formula Nissan at 17, in Formula 3000 at 18 and Minardi at 18, so I was always the youngest driver in all of the categories. To be the youngest also to have the pole position is a good thing, and I hope to be youngest driver to win a race. I don't know how much time I've got. It's not possible? Maybe the youngest man to win the world championship [laughter].

Q:
Kimi, I believe you started using the twin-belt system from this race. Is that correct?

KR:
Yes

Q:
Is it more effective?

KR:
Yes. The first race I did with the normal HANS system and I didn't have any problems but, because it was available, I tried it once in a test and the belts weren't the right length - there were some problems anyhow - and I wasn't able to use it in the first race. But now we've got a new set of belts and it was good for me and I decided to use it because, even though I had some problems before, I think always that it was better like this.

Q:
Rubens, were you surprised when you had your own race under the same conditions as McLaren and you saw that he was a little faster than you?

RB:
Yes, you're always surprised because we showed such domination last year and we feel that we could always win a race, but it was the same story as last year. I was winning the race from Ralf and I couldn't really be quicker than they were here in Malaysia. So I guess they do a good job here but, as I said, with the package and the circumstances of the first lap, I'm quite happy. I think we've done a good job.

Q:
First of all, Fernando, you could still become the youngest winner because Bruce McLaren was 22 when he won. But this question is to Kimi. How will you celebrate tonight?

KR:
Actually, I'm flying back to home to Switzerland this evening, and I don't think there's much partying today, but we'll see.

Q:
This is for Rubens Barrichello. Are you happy that there are no more team orders, Rubens?

RB:
I was hoping for that question! [laughter] I'm just happy that we have the three youngest guys here on the podium [more laughter]. I feel very happy about it.

Q:
Kimi, congratulations. Did you fully trust you pit lane speed limiter during the pit-stops [laughter]?

KR:
Yes. We had a problem with the software in the first race and I was maybe a little bit slower into the limit zone than in the first race, but we fixed the problems in testing and it was fine all weekend - I didn't worry about it too much. I had a feeling that, hopefully, it was going to work now because I was in the situation in the last race. No, the team worked very well.

Q:
Kimi, you did well today so perhaps you have some good advice for the Finnish soccer team who are going to play Italy in the World Cup qualifying match?

KR:
[Laughter] Hopefully, we will win against Italy - but it's difficult. Italy is still one of the best countries in football. I guess the guys will fight and we will see.

Q:
Well done, Kimi. What about the heat today? Have you lost much fluid in the car? Did you find the heat a problem out there?

KR:
Of course, it's a little bit hotter than usual, but it wasn't too bad, actually. I was expecting it to be more difficult. Maybe it was because I did not have to push so hard for the last 20 laps. I was just driving along and I it was just like any other race.

Q:
This is for Kimi Raikkonen. A hypothetical situation. If you had to choose between two drivers to be your partner, who would you choose between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve [much laughter]?

KR:
I really don't know where you're aiming with that question, but David [Coulthard] is a great team-mate - he was unlucky today not to finish the race and it is completely fine now what we have.

Q:
Rubens, what is your opinion about Fernando [laughter]?

RB:
The bastard beat me as the youngest scorer, so ... I'm very happy. I think both are future world champions. I just hope I can win the world championship before them!