Pole position press conference - Monaco GP - Pt.2.

Drivers: Ralf Schumacher (Williams), Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren), Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams)

Press conference:

Q:
Given your problems in qualifying so far this year, and your love affair with Monaco, do you like it a bit more now, Ralf?

Ralf Schumacher:
It's a great place to drive, that's for sure, but only if the car is good anyway. If it's not, and you have balance problems, then you're in deep problems here. But I've always complained a bit about the safety side, nothing else. Driving here is great.

Q:
Were you a bit alarmed at that time by McLaren this morning?

RS:
Oh yes, I was very much surprised. I obviously knew that Kimi didn't have a good qualifying on Thursday, but looking at the times this morning we didn't think we would be that strong to be honest. But we made quite a few changes in the morning and then just gradually built up to it.

Q:
How much of a margin do you leave around here?

RS:
It's a difficult decision to take since we've had this one lap qualifying. You can't really leave a lot of margin, and that's why I spun in Austria and you do the same here.
Q:
What about the start tomorrow? Last year, David Coulthard out-accelerated Juan Pablo off the line. What do you reckon?

RS:
Well, the two cars do have a good starting history. Let's wait and see what happens. It will be exciting into the first corner, I guess. I hope all of us come around without any stupid mistakes or accidents and go into the race from there.

Q:
Kimi, what sort of margin have you been leaving around here? You went fairly early in qualifying as well...

Kimi Raikkonen:
Yeah, but I think it's more important here to go as quick as possible, because one place can make a big difference in the race. Okay, you want to keep the car out of the walls and try to do a good lap. I got quite a good lap, not quick enough for pole but I'm quite happy with that.

Q:
Remembering what David did from second on the grid last year, does that give you hope?

KR:
Yeah, but it's a different year and everything is different, but you never know. It all depends on how the launch control works and if it's good, as we hope, then maybe we can get the first place. But like Ralf said, we will see tomorrow.

Q:
There's a new pit lane this year. How much does that enter into the strategy of things?

KR:
I don't think it makes very much difference. I think it's much safer as it is now, because last year you just came and there would easily have been some accidents and now it's much, much better.

Q:
Did you think you had pole position after you set the time?

KR:
I hoped, but it was pretty much the same situation as it was at the last race and maybe next time?

Q:
Juan, is it going to be an advantage starting behind Ralf?

Juan Montoya:
Erm...why?

Q:
Just with the two of you on that side of the grid...

JPM:
Well, no. When Michael went out, I said to my engineer it would be good in a way if Michael was ahead of us because, basically, last year the left-hand side was a lot quicker. I was a bit surprised at Michael being so slow.

Q:
Have you been surprised by Ferrari in that they were quickest in the first sector and then relatively slow in the others?

JPM:
The first sector is three corners - it is really nothing. Where you really can make the time is in the second sector, that is where you can make a big difference. The first sector and last sector is very little time and if you do a good second sector you will be pretty competitive.

Q:
Michelin were first to fourth in that session. How important do you think that was to the three of you up there?

JPM:
Well, it seemed that Bridgestone had pretty soft tyres for the first day and a harder tyre for the race and in a way it is good for us that they couldn't run the soft tyre, I would imagine.

Q:
You were on pole last year, so third this year. Happy?

JPM:
In a way, I am amazed. I thought I was going to be P6 or P7. In the morning, the car felt a lot better than it did in qualifying. I am certain I have got a good car for the race and it will be a matter of time to see what happens.

Q:
The temperature went up quite sharply in the 15 minutes before the start of qualifying. Did that make a big difference?

JPM:
Not really. I think the level of grip on the car was good. The second sector was not as good as it could have been and that was it.

Questions from the floor:

Q:
Can all the three drivers give some comments on the swimming pool area and the entrance to La Rascasse?

JPM:
The entrance of the swimming pool is the same. The Rascasse is a bit different, it is safer...no, probably not safer, just cheaper for the teams!

RS:
Well, yeah, it is a big effort for them to change the circuit like that and it is good because it was always easy to make a stupid mistake into Rascasse and that was it, end of story. As Juan Pablo said, it was very expensive at the same time as annoying. It is a good change and the Swimming Pool area was bumpy in some areas and the new tarmac seems to be good.

Q:
What did you think when your brother Michael was out on track?

RS:
I was surprised. When I saw the first sector I said 'whoops, it's going to be tight', but then he made a slight mistake into the corner that was called Loews - I don't know what it is called now - and I was very surprised that even in the second sector he seemed to lose somewhere else as well. It is great for us, certainly, but we expected him to out qualify us.

Q:
Kimi, McLaren have said this car is not a qualifying car. How do you judge it in comparison to the others?

KR:
I think it is still not a qualifying car, like they said, but it seems to be working well this year and it has always been better with more fuel in the car than how it was last year when we were qualifying on low fuel for one lap. We never really got the best out of it like the other teams and it is a bit the same situation now when we are running on the Fridays, or here Thursday, that we are a bit far away from the others but we know that and that is why we don't worry so much and once we and all the other guys put fuel in the car it seems to be going well.

Q:
Because of the exit of the pit-lane, Ste Devote has changed a little with the new kerb now. Do you think it could influence the start tomorrow?

RS:
Well, Charlie [Whiting] will watch it pretty carefully anyway and whoever cuts it and gains a position will be reported to the stewards and get a drive-through penalty. So I think it is in nobody's interests to gain anything, but at least there is a bit more space in case we need it. I think it is not a bad idea.

Q:
We have eight Michelin cars in the top ten positions. Do you think if the weather is going to be the same tomorrow this is an indicator for the race?

KR:
I hope so, but I don't know. I think the Michelin seems to be working a bit better in these hot conditions so hopefully it will be even hotter and we will have a bigger advantage.

RS:
The conditions seemed to work for us. We did a lot of testing in the last two tests to be prepared for this race and they have done a great job. Last year, we struggled a bit after our long runs and so I am pretty sure, after what I have seen today and this morning, that we are pretty well prepared, we made a good tyre choice and I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Q:
Kimi, it is your third time here. Do you think just from a driving point of view that you have something to learn from this track and how do you like it?

KR:
Yeah, I like the circuit but it is very difficult and the experience here makes it a much bigger difference than other places and really this morning I started to find a bit better lines around the circuit and we got the set-up working quite well and every year you will feel a bit better, more confident and quicker, but it is not too bad now and hopefully it is much better this year.

Q:
Now you have a very good opportunity to keep Michael behind you in the world championship. Are you going to take risks to win the race or are you going to go cautiously to get some good points.

KR:
We will try to win the race, but we will see how it goes and, if you see that there is no chance to win, then you need to take whatever is available. So I will take the best shot that I can to try to win it, but so will all the other drivers - we will see.

Q:
Kimi, both Rubens and Michael lost a lot of time in the last sector and that would suggest that they have problems with the tyres. But they are going to use the same tyre tomorrow that they did today and they are at the back of the grid. Do you think it is an advantage for you?

KR:
Yes, for sure it is going to help us but we don't know how well they are doing on the longer runs and from what I have seen on my car when we did longer runs it seems to be very good and I am quite confident that we will be quite good tomorrow and hopefully we can have a bigger advantage in the points after this race.