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

Drivers: Fernando Alonso (McLaren Mercedes), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari).

Questions from the floor.

Q: (Rodrigo Franca - Racing Magazine).
For all three of you, in the 1980's, it was famous that Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were four guys who were friends and who were then chasing the title and they stopped being friends. The four of you, including R?ikk?nen, seem to be friends. Will it be the same when you are chasing the title?

Felipe Massa:
I think first of all, we have a good relationship, but it doesn't mean we are friends. The other very important thing is that we all have a best friend and it is not always a guy from Formula One, but from other things; maybe a guy who grew up with you or something like that. But I think the relationship is good and everybody respects one another and that is how it has to be. I mean, for sure, a couple of times we are going to have some issues, but that is normal in this sport. But the day after everything is fine, so....

Fernando Alonso:
(only does a 'thumbs-up', does not speak; laughter)

Lewis Hamilton:
Same... Next question.

Q: (Mark Hughes - Autosport).
Lewis, at the first stops you stopped about three laps later and a second a half longer, when we expected you to run maybe five laps longer... Was there a problem at the first stop or were you called in early at the second?

LH:
No, I really ... I'm looking forward to speaking to my engineers... I am pretty sure the reason they called me in earlier than I had fuel for is because of the Safety Car. If the Safety Car had come out they could really have changed the result so it was better to get the pit-stop done. Felipe had made his pit-stop so he was no trouble to me and I could have kept my position so they brought me in after three laps and I thought we were going to go shorter on the middle stint, but we didn't.

Q: (Mark Hughes - Autosport).
Does that suggest you were gambling on a Safety Car period?

LH:
To be honest, I have no clue. I just did my race. And the team took care of it all.

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association).
Lewis, it was noticeable that after the podium ceremony you handed your trophy to your brother Nick. Is there any significance in that? Did you dedicate it to him in any way?

LH:
No, not really. My brother supports me in every race and it is good to have him there and he loves to be a part of it and I am proud to have him with me and it is great when he comes up and I can give him the trophy and make him feel important and just show him that he is.

Q: (Lionel Froissart - Lib?ration).
Lewis, did you touch the rail two or three times in your last stint?

LH:
Yes.

Q: (Lionel Froissart - Lib?ration).
Where? Mirabeau?

LH:
I hit a couple of barriers. I am not really sure which ones. I just tapped them.

Q: (Kevin Garside - The Daily Telegraph).
Lewis, for the first time this season you looked disappointed with second place today. It seems the pattern developing is that you are always heavier in the third qualifying session which gives the world champion, Fernando, the best shot at pole. Is this hampering you? Do you feel frustrated?

LH:
At the end of the day, I am a rookie. I am in my first season in Formula One and I have finished second in only my first Monaco Grand Prix so I really can't complain, but to see that I am of a similar pace to Fernando is a positive for me. But it is something I have to live with. I've got number two on my car. I am the number two driver.

Q: (Marco Evangelisti - Corriere dello Sport).
Felipe, during this weekend when did you realise that the McLarens were untouchable?

FM:
Honestly, in the qualifying we were a little bit worried with their pace and in the practice we were not 100 per cent sure. We had already seen that this year sometimes they are quick in the test but in the race it is something else, especially in Barcelona, if you see were more competitive in the race and we were much quicker. So, and then, in the qualifying we saw the lap times and we were not 100 per cent sure and the only thing we thought was that maybe they didn't have a perfect lap in qualifying. In the race, it was clear for everybody...

Q: (Joe Saward - Grand Prix Special).
Fernando, did you hit any of the back-markers?

FA:
No.

Q: (Juha P??talo - Financial Times Germany).
Two questions, firstly for Felipe - in Barcelona you were more than 30 seconds in front of these guys and here 69 seconds behind them. You must have some idea why?

FM:
No, actually I don't have. We will see next race. Hopefully, it is something related just to this track which we don't know. For sure, we are quite happy with our car, it is competitive, but for this track it is not. So hopefully, it is just related to the layout of this track or something not related to the car. Even if you look at Renault, we were not so much quicker this time. Usually on other tracks they are much slower than us. So maybe it is related to our car at this track. But, we don't know. We need to go to another track and try to understand the problem exactly so it doesn't happen on a slow track, or something like that. Even in the last sector at Barcelona, we were slow and yet we were the quickest. At the end of the day, it is difficult to explain.

Q: (Juha P??talo - Financial Times Germany).
What was the team's explanation for you pitting early?

LH:
I just said I haven't spoken to my engineers, so I don't really know. I can only assume as we were all on a two stop strategy that if the Safety Car came out it really could have had a big effect and we wouldn't have ended up with the points we ended up with. It was important to get us in because anything could have happened and so it was the safe route.

Q: (Ralf Bach - R & B).
Fernando after your second victory for Mercedes, can you tell us how familiar are you with the new tyres and car? Can you say 70 or 80 per cent?

FA:
I think related to the previous question I can clarify maybe the situation. I was two laps later than I should be in the first stint because I saved fuel in the first part of the race, in the formation laps and like that, they were telling me on the radio so maybe I was only three laps shorter than him..... And (compared to Renault) I am very happy and I am very confident with the car now. I think I am 90 per cent. For sure, I need to learn more about the car and the tyres, but this race was very important for me because I learned some good things about the tyres, how they behave all through the stint, and how to drive them all through the stint as well and every time I am in the car I am improving as well. I am quite happy but there is still more to come I hope.

Q: (Fr?d?ric Ferret - L'Equipe).
Fernando, did you have any worries during the race?

FA:
It was quite a nice race and I had no worries all through the race, only approaching the second stop when around lap 50 or whatever it was, for sure, a Safety Car in that moment can be a drama because everybody can catch you and you have to stop once more and people there for one stop will overtake you. So from having 40 seconds lead from the third guy around lap 50 or 51 I was so happy to come in for the last set of tyres and to stay out and ... the Safety Car was not any more a problem at that time.

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Assocation).
Lewis, you mentioned that there were team orders towards the end of the race, that you are the number two driver... Is this something that you find difficult to come to terms with?

LH:
There weren't necessarily any team orders. They don't say that I had to stay behind Fernando... But the goal of the team is to score as many points as possible and we want to pull away from the Ferraris and the only way we can do that is to finish in first and second or ahead of them. It was easy for me to maybe push a bit harder and to touch the barrier and maybe to crash or push Fernando into a mistake, but that would have been a negative on the team. Coming into the season, I expect to be the number two driver. I am a rookie, it is my first season, but I am just pleased to be here and it is really is a great feeling for me to be sitting next to these drivers and still living my dream and to be on the podium in all five of my first Grands Prix ... I hope to continue like that.

Q: (Rodrigo Franca - Racing Magazine).
Lewis, what did you learn from GP2 series and who do you see from your old GP2 rivals who could do a good job in Formula One?

LH:
GP2 was a great category obviously and it helped boost my opportunity to get into Formula One and is a great stepping-stone for anyone's career. I haven't really had the opportunity to watch it as I am so busy during the weekends, but there are lots of drivers there - without giving any names - who did a great job and they all have the potential...

FM:
Let's hear about Nelson Piquet... (laughter)