European GP Preview Quotes: Ferrari

Michael Schumacher: "I can only repeat what I usually say, that of course coming to the Nurburgring is something special for me. It is not so far from my home and usually a lot of my fans turn out to support me. That in itself is already a help and it is a great feeling when you arrive to find this tremendous atmosphere. It's good to have this support and also I have many good memories of this place. Obviously, it is great but even more important is knowing that, with the F2003-GA, I have a car which is simply amazing, with a very good performance level. In general, it is a fantastic feeling coming to the Nurburgring, but it is even better knowing that I can expect to be fighting for the win. Indeed, our car's main advantage is that it goes well on all the circuits and we are always in the hunt for the win. And, in the past few races at the Nurburgring, Ferrari has usually gone very well."

Rubens Barrichello: "Last year what made my race was my first lap, which I ended up leading. Qualifying had not been so good, but that first lap was phenomenal and got me the lead. I remember it was an interesting race tactically, as I had some blisters on my tyres. So when Michael (running second) dropped back, I was able to conserve my tyres and push again when he got closer. So going back there is a great feeling. I have always gone well in Germany, which is another reason to be optimistic. Now we know it (the track) is much slower, but it is still challenging, as it is easy to make a mistake in the new first corner. Some drivers might think it is a shame we have lost the original corner which involved a very quick change of direction through the 'S.' But the new section is interesting and especially in qualifying, you can make or lose a lot of time there.

"At the Nurburgring, aerodynamics used to be the key factor, but the new track layout means we have to concentrate on the mechanical grip more than before,. The new section requires excellent traction, while brakes are also important as some of the braking areas are quite bumpy and obviously, you need a good engine as the track rises and falls and you need the power to get up the hills. At Silverstone we worked on tyres for Nurburgring, while also thinking ahead to the British Grand Prix next month. I had three fantastic days of testing and we got through a big programme. I was very happy with what I accomplished in England. The F2003-GA is still very new for us and there is a lot more potential to be taken from it, which is another reason to look forward to the second half of the year."