Q & A with Jean Todt

Jean Todt: We are very pleased about the result. We haven't found ourselves in such a strong situation from the beginning of the weekend for a long time and we saw immediately that we were strong compared to the ends. Yesterday, once we saw that we had the two Ferraris on the front row, we definitely had a few questions, question marks were mainly over reliability and degradation of the tyres.

We were reliable, which was important because it was the second race with the engine and the Bridgestone tyres were fantastic. You can see the overall result and even if you see the quickest lap time during the race, you can see how strong the Bridgestones were this weekend.

Q. Do you think that this weekend Michelin came here with too conservative tyres, and took a step back, rather than Ferrari and Bridgestone took a big step forward?

JT: Honestly, I don't know if they came conservative or not but simply I think I always commented that if you want to win a race, you need to have everything put together and we managed to have everything put together which gave the final result, but if we managed to put everything as well in some next races we can pretend to do the same result. If we don't do it, as it will happen unfortunately too often this season, we cannot pretend to make a strong result. It's up to us.

Q. Is there more confidence in the team that you can go forward from this result and attack the championship? Michael said you cannot do it...

JT: You always feel stronger for at least ten days, until the next Grand Prix, if you finish first and second. And then, if you see the classification, you wish you would feel stronger, because we are still far behind in the manufacturers' and in the drivers' championship. At the moment, we are not the ones to feel stronger but we will do everything we can to improve the situation.

Q. Do you know why it didn't work in Montreal and it worked here? Is it just down to tyres or is there more?

JT: A combination, combination. In Montreal maybe we did not take the best strategy and we did not make the best job. That's all.

Q. How big a relief is it? It also helps that Michael gained six points against Alonso.

JT: It's good, you know. So often this year he lost those points against him so this time it went on the good side for us.

Q. When you win a race like this, does it make it slightly easier to sort out the problems, because there are one or two boxes that are ticked.

JT: Honestly, it makes it easier for the flight home. It's good, you have a good feeling, but tomorrow we will start again.

Q. How free were Felipe and Michael allowed to race today and how mindful were you of the championship?

JT: They work for Ferrari. We are paid by Ferrari. Felipe did a fantastic race, Michael did a fantastic race.

Q. Michael needed to win because of the championship.

JT: It's our job. Our job is try to deliver the best for the company, so we try our best.

Q. This was Felipe's best result for Ferrari and his career. Do you think he's made some slight progress, do you think his abilities and confidence have improved after last weekend?

JT: Felipe is a great guy. I was pulling your leg about his good manager. He is a great guy, without needing a good manager. He has a good spirit, he's a team player, he's humble, shy. Probably too humble and too shy in this business, because he's not rated as he should be.

But the most important thing is that he's rated by Ferrari. He's never advertising himself. He has the strongest teammate to compete with. I must say they get on very well, because Michael respects Felipe a lot, and of course Felipe respects and admires Michael so on that subject we have fantastic harmony in the team.

But very often I'm amazed to see that Felipe is not rated like he should be. Sometimes it makes me smile when I see the notes which are given on Monday. Very often, in my opinion, trying to be really fair, he's two or three or four less than what he should have. That shows that the people who are judging are probably not the best judges, that's all.

Q. In the press conference, Felipe said that there was some problem with the clutch when going out of the pits. What was going on there?

JT: The clutch was slipping.

Q. Is it true that you haven't signed the engine homologation agreement?

JT: There were a few meetings over the weekend to try to find an agreement for the engine in order - as I said - to try to find a common agreement and to introduce that without conflict for '07. So Ferrari was available for that as long as the cost would not be over the cost from what we called the Maranello proposal. I gave total availability to call this proposal whatever was the most convenient for the others.

Now, I must say that the priority was to work for the race. Now my people will have a very cautious look to this proposal. We should be close to the one we suggested after the Maranello meeting and if we feel that it does reach our expectation, we don't have any problem to sign it so we will see and if we feel that some modifications have to be suggested, we will suggest them and hopefully our colleagues will agree on them.

Q. How quickly can you do that?

JT: In the coming days.

Q. Could you have that by Thursday for the F1 Commission meeting?

JT: The commission meeting, yeah, by Thursday, so we should be able to do that, within the next 48 hours.

Q. Is it fair to say that in principle you agree with what's on the table, you're just checking the detail to make sure everything is specifically correct.

JT: As I said, I agree on the principle to try to find an agreement. I just want to make sure that the agreement does achieve what we want to achieve which is reducing the costs. I often say that even if we can stand it, because we are fortunate to have a very strong commercial agreement for the next year, we are in a situation where we are fortunate enough.

I say that very cautiously... we are in a situation now where we have to refuse commercial partners because we have the maximum we can have. But it doesn't mean that we have to spend money for the pleasure of spending money. For me, I think we should be in a position for Ferrari to consider Formula One as a business and as a return in profit, so if this proposal.

Definitely the cost will be more expensive than the FIA rules, but if we can make everybody, together, and again, without any controversy, anticipate that for next year, because it will be ridiculous to be facing a situation where we develop the engine until the end of '07, to come back to the Silverstone specification. We have to pay attention to that.

Q. Nineteen points is the difference now between Michael and Fernando. How difficult would you see the job of winning the title after this weekend?

JT: It all depends on what we do and what the others do. Today, we got six points back so it means that just... if we could do the same if he's able to drive like he did today in the next races, but I don't think it will be so easy.

Q. Do you see in today's performance a general trend going upwards or was this a special race?

JT: Today was a good race for us. I hope we have some other good races.