FORMULA I: UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX

September 28, 2003

Heinz Harald Frentzen

Kimi Raikkonen

Michael Schumacher

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Yeah, a great and an important one. Obviously, an important outcome for the rest of the competitors, what concerns my position for the championship. And now I'm so pleased. I mean, it's such an emotional day today, so fantastic. After, as you said, not a great qualifying performance, having a good start, being back in the race, falling back due to the rain with slick tires, then coming back with rain tires, then not knowing what's the weather going to do, being back in slicks, starting to rain again towards the end. There was everything in it today. To win this one in the crucial stage of the championship meant a lot. I am just so thankful to all the guys of Ferrari, because they just carried us to this success. I'm just so thankful.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Yeah, it was a crucial moment because we had this sort of rain before which just came and went straightaway. It was for sure too dry to go to wet tires. And this rain just looked it would be another one of those, and it was just a gamble. Coming into the pit lane, I was thinking and actually saying on the radio, "I wonder if we shouldn't change our decision." But it was too late anyway. It would have caused a fuss and a mess. Well, afterwards, you always know more. We went out on dries. The guys still just did a great job. We came back in straight away, just had a fantastic car for this condition. Unbelievable tires for this condition, which just gave us the victory today.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Yeah. It was clear that everybody sort of - of the front-runners at least. Heinz Harald did the right move. He was probably one of the only ones that did the right decision. For the frontrunners of the championship, all had done the pit stops earlier than me, meant they were on try tires and had the same sort of problem that I had, meaning that I was not too far away and would be able to close this gap because we knew pretty much before that our rain tires would be better than our competitors'.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I think we were just a bit unlucky, honestly. Afterwards we sort of checked the data, and we got in trouble in turn one and two. Checking it, it was just a big blow of wind coming at the time I was going through that corner. And that cost me a couple of 10ths. I knew that. So I was trying to make up in the rest of the circuit. May have been just pushing a little bit too much. It wouldn't work out. I think it's one of those unlucky days where it doesn't work together. But obviously we have worked very well on our starting system, and I was able to catch a lot of positions straight at the start, which brought me back into the fight.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: Yeah, I think so we lost the race because we were very unlucky with the weather today. But what can you do? I was fighting as much as I could. We only got second place. Of course, it's not the best, because Michael won, and we came second for a championship.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: Yeah, but he's always making our life more difficult. But at least we in the championship. You never know, maybe we have another very difficult race in the last one, and it can all happen there.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: Yeah, I think so. It was just when it's a little bit wet, you can still run with the slicks, which is always to be more stronger. But if it gets really heavy rain, I think so we in a good chance. If it's between those two, it's just not working, our tires are not working as well as the Bridgestone. It is much better than last year or beginning of year. Hopefully we're going to get there.

HEINZ HARALD FRENTZEN: Yeah, good memories. I'm very happy, especially now our situation, we had a very difficult season. The podium places would not be really our regular target this year. But the perfect condition for us today helped me. And the team did a good job helping me.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: Well, I have to say I do like it. We seem to be more competitive on wet conditions. We used our joker today.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: Well, I had great fun. But I was really concerned, thinking about finishing second and third in the championship -- excuse me, in the position on the podium (laughter). We had similar situation this year where we were in the points and we had a last step, for instance in Monza, a gearbox problem. I was thinking, "Okay, I enjoying as much as I can." I don't think about finish, I just do what I can.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Yeah, I think it was a great event down here. As you say, if you look at the atmosphere, I think it was outstanding, was probably one of the best ones we had this year. The two sort of or three groups, the ones for Ferrari, for Williams and McLaren, and for their drivers, we're cheering up each other and competing each other. It was great all weekend. I mean, if you saw on the Thursday how many spectators there were already to watch the pit walk and to see the cars. You were surprised about this if you saw the first sort of years, it's picking up a lot. That's what everybody is guess suspected would happen. We happy to deliver something back and give them a good show today.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Obviously, it's a very good position for us to start the last race. We just need one point basically. But you never know. I mean, you have first to finish, and that will be obviously the main target. On the other side, I think we have a very reliable car. We have a good record for this, so we will be obviously very optimistic - particularly, my target will be to win another race.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: It is true. I mean, if you see the situation, it just was outstanding in Monza. This tops it again. Who knows what will be the next. But I'm just so delighted and happy about the way things have gone. If you see everything, if you obviously see the amount of pressure that is on, although you handle it, but it's still there. It's just so beautiful when you get the result in like that.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I was not completely surprised to be at least amongst the first three because I knew from where I started I could make up some positions. I felt I was strong in the race. No, I wasn't too surprised. It was just a matter of whether I would be behind Montoya or in front of him. I thought it would have been difficult to catch Kimi under normal circumstances, but I wouldn't have been too concerned on that knowing the points situation.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I was in permanent contact by radio, informed myself of what was going on, who was in what position, and what sort of pace was needed.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Yeah, I would agree pretty much on that. Bridgestone has probably got a lot of criticism this year, as much there will be - how you say - will be pushed up, boosted by the performance we have seen today. The one thing makes me happy, I mean, we have this sort of joker in our hand for so long already, and we never have been able to use it. Today was the first time we were able to use our wet tires, sort of won the race with it.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I guess it was raining, and under this condition we were slightly -- it was for sure more difficult to us on our dry tires compared to the Michelin dry tires. They were just able to perform much better in the high-speed area, and I got overtaken.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I know I have overtaken Panis, but well before the yellow flag started. I knew where the yellow flag started. I was by by that time. Just meant that the nose was in front, so it was, so no problem. Brake early enough and was safe for the accident.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: A bit unhappy to finish second really. But I think so the weather wasn't in our favor this time. The beginning of race was good, we were strong. Just our rain tires are not as good as Bridgestone's. We lost the race pretty much. But second is still okay.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: Yeah, but it would have been much better to be other way around, to won the race and able to help us more. Again, there is always chance now. You never know what happens in the next race. It can be another very difficult race for all the people. We just need to make most out of it.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: Yeah, we were about anyway to come into the pits. I had to make a decision. The rain was about to come. Then I had to make a decision quickly because we could have put dry tires on. But I look up in the sky before, and it looked like it was going to rain for quite a long time, so I decided to ask the team to choose for wet tires.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: Yes (laughter).

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: Lap six? When it was initially starting, yes, it was starting to rain. It was a little bit slippery. I had I think Webber behind me. He was a bit pushy. He slipped away there, slipped to the inside. I couldn't do anything about it. At that stage they were faster than us.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: I don't know. I mean, I'm at the moment thinking about what option I have got for the future. Certainly I like motor racing. So I'm weighing up the chances.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Yeah, it's a knife edge, honestly. It can be either right or wrong. You've seen some guys coming in very early when the first rain came in, like Panis, I think, putting on wet tires. It just needed a little extra rain and it would have been the right decision, but it didn't come, then it was the wrong decision. So it was for us sort of when we came for the first pit stop, we thought it would be another one of that just spit of rain, then stopping, and it would have been wrong to be out on rain tires. So we thought, "Okay, dry." That was the wrong decision. Fortunately, everyone of the front-runners at that stage had made the same decision, so it didn't cost us too much. With the performance of our rain tires, I was able to make up the deficit I took from the time before.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Well, nothing was prepared, so we have to see what happens. I mean, for sure we have a drink. We're going to celebrate a bit together. Saying that, we have to prepare for the next race in Suzuka. The mechanics are already packing together. They have a job to do. It's unfortunately a shame that we can't hang out for like Sunday night and have fun, then maybe worry about all this the next day. Unfortunately, time schedule doesn't allow that because we're going to start testing Tuesday onwards again. So we just have a little party.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: Actually, I'm going to fly home this evening. Not much else. Well see maybe in the home a little bit. We celebrate after the season if we get something good.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: We have a good reason to have a party. I'm open for any offers. Where is a good place to invite all my team to have something to drink? So any offers, I take it.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: No. He let me pass quite easily. Once you get the blue flags, you need to let the people behind you pass. I think so the whole race was quite difficult. Had a little bit fight with Ralf, then he went out when I tried to pass him. Got a little bit sideways on the oval part because I went inside of him. It was raining, on the slick tires, then side by side, had a little fight. No, it was good race. Was quite good fun. Unfortunately, we didn't got the win. But we're still in the championship and see what happens.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: No, we always only be allowed to test in Europe. Yeah, time to get over the jet lag is probably getting in the car and drive, be concentrated, be so tired at night that you fall asleep and sleep through. I guess myself, I will not start before Wednesday, so I have some rest.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: No, I don't have a television with me obviously. The conditions were simply in a way that we didn't have a great competition. We had a little competition in turn nine and ten in the hairpins, where I was just so slow, I was sliding almost into him. But I was no competition for him at that stage. He was easily passing me. Then I was lapping him. He was just giving way very fairly. It was not a day of competition between us today.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I said before, I don't know if you heard that, I said earlier in Monza is one of my best days in my life. I have to add up this one into it. It's just such an important moment, such an unusual race with so many things that happened, so many possibilities to make mistakes, and to finally win such a race is obviously crucial. And, therefore, I have had good memories in the past about Indianapolis, and this just adds up.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I had a little incident with David, which I was already inside. I was basically through, then he just closed the door. So that meant that we hit each other. It was very tight. I could have easily lost my nose by that stage. I don't know what went through him. Usually when you're that far inside, you just leave a little bit of room to survive. But he just pushed me inside. I touched the curb. I had no option. But, you know, that's the way it is.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Doesn't matter about the last question, honestly. Only when the checkered flag falls down, it matters what is the real situation. And to explain the situation why I was so overtaken was simply that at that stage we had some rain coming. We sort of had difficulties in this condition. It was very easy for our competitors to pass the Bridgestone drivers. But then when it got more rain, obviously everything turned around.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: Yeah, I think so the beginning of race was really good, the tires were working really well. Even when it got a little bit wet, I mean, when we were on the slick tires, I think so it was a good moment for us. Then once we went for wet tires, I think so the first like five laps was okay because it was so wet that the Bridgestone, they have as much advantage over us. But then once it start to dry up, we started to struggle little bit. When I came in the pits, all my four tires was almost slicks. It was hard to just keep on the circuit. But we didn't want to come earlier in because you never know if it start raining more or drying. We were try to keep going as long as we could to make a right decision, either go on new wet tires or on the slicks.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: I mean, I guess it's simply an ability we all have. I mean, we all go to the limit of our circumstance. So every driver, every car, every circumstance offers a different limit. We search for it. Usually we find it.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: It's very difficult to find, yes, in this condition because it's very tricky. It's again, like a knife edge situation. You have grip until a certain moment, then off it goes very rapidly, where the slicks could be more forgiving. Depends obviously, again, what condition exactly you are - especially in the banking, it's very tricky situation.

KIMI RAIKKONEN: I would change the weather, I think so. Right choices, every time we came in the pits, almost all the Michelin runners (inaudible) on that part of the race when it was wet. It was just unlucky with the weather.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: We do from time to time. Lately I don't remember when I last have been out in the rain except the one we had on Friday or Saturday when the circuit was wet. Before that, it's quite a while ago. But I sometimes do go-karting in the wet. It helps.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: Yes, certainly. It was quite important in our situation. It helped a lot. I think I was the first one in on changing into wet tires. The other people lost quite some time on dry tires on wet conditions on that stage. That caused, of course, a gain of some places.

HEINZ HARALD FRETZEN: I think I probably could have finished the race with the fuel I had after my first stop. The car was pretty heavy. I think the target was I have to contact the team because they didn't tell me, but the car was notably very heavy. I had to take care about my wet tires to finish the race.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: Nothing.