Q & A with Luca Badoer

Luca Badoer: I don't know exactly, but I think I gave him too much time on the track today. In the pit lane it was a misunderstanding with me, the team, and the rule of the FIA. That is what happened.

Q. Your lap times steadily improved in the race as you got more experience. How much more confident did you feel with the car after the race, how different do you feel tonight compared to Saturday night?

LB: I feel one second more confident, because that was the gap that I improved. Of course, it is a reasonable step on a track like this. So, as I have said before, I think Spa is a track I know and I will be at a better level.

Q. You returned to F1 after 10 months away from the cockpit. You had speeding fines on Friday, a difficult qualifying, and incidents in the race. Have you been able to enjoy the weekend, or has it just been a very hard three days?

LB: For sure very hard days and a very hard weekend. But this was the expectation from me and from the team. So we are very happy for this.

Q. This was your first race for 10 years. Was it the toughest race you have ever had to do, given the circumstances?

LB: For sure it was a tough race. It was tough because F1 is very different compared to 10 years ago. It was tough with the pressure to not make any mistakes. The pressure that was the priority for the team to finish the race, so that I could have many more laps and have much more confidence with the car. So at the end we did the programme, and that is all.

Q. You have worked many years with Rubens Barrichello. Was there any special feeling in seeing him win?

LB: He won the race?

Q. Yes.

LB: I didn't know! I am very happy for him. Honestly, I didn't have the time to know, because I went straight to the briefing and then came straight to this press conference. I didn't know who won the race! Rubens is a good friend of mine, I am very happy for him as he is a nice guy. Very good. And who was second?

Q. Hamilton...

LB: Hamilton. Okay. The third I know!

Q. Luca, you said this weekend matched your own and the team's expectations. What are you expecting from next weekend in terms of lap time and in terms of result?

LB: Oh my god, I don't know! I am not a magic person. I just tell you that this weekend I improved a lot, and in Spa I think it will be much better. I don't know how much better. We will see there, but for sure I will have a better feeling with the car, with the team, with the track and with everything. It will be much better, I promise you.

Q. Before the race you talked with Michael Schumacher. What did he say to you?

LB: Everybody knows with Michael that we are very good friends. We spend a lot of time together, also for training because it was very clear after Massa's accident that the choice at Ferrari was him or me. So, we spent some days together for training, for go-karts and for relaxing. And when he decided that he was not able to drive in Valencia, he said I will come anyway to support you. And I want to tell him thank you very much because he was very good for me. To have the point of view of a seven-time world champion is always a very good thing. To have him on side is a special thing, so I want to tell him thank you very much.

Q. After so long working with Ferrari as a test driver, and now to race with them and see the chequered flag, as an Italian what feeling does that give you?

LB: Since the time that they told me I was going to be the driver, my life has changed. I am the most happy - not that before I was unhappy - but I am really very happy now. For me it is a special time because, as a I told in the past, it was my dream since I was a small child I was thinking and dreaming I want to drive Ferrari in F1 when I am big. So you can imagine now that I can do it, this will be the best period in my life. It will be not long, but for me it will be enough - because I hope Felipe can come back very soon. He is a very good guy and a very good driver. I think he will come back stronger than before. I wish him the best.