Germany Preview Quotes: Ferrari

Michael Schumacher: "Last year this race was one of the highlights of the season. I had won the Drivers' Championship at the previous race and came to Germany with the feeling that I could really celebrate the title with my fans. On top of that, I was very confident about my chances in the race, which is not all the common at Hockenheim. Victory came after years of trying with Ferrari and when I stood on the podium, I felt like the happiest man in the world. With that in mind, obviously I can't wait to return to Germany, ready to fight on track. This year, the race definitely looks a much tougher prospect than last season's and everyone at Ferrari is aware of that, but it is not an impossible task. Recently, we have made significant progress, so we feel well prepared. We can expect a very tough race. Several times this year we have seen that the true performance level of the teams at various circuits has only been revealed over the course of the weekend. This applies particularly to those circuits where we do not usually test and Hockenheim is one of these, so we will have to wait and see what we can do. It can be considered as a track which is not particularly suited to the Ferrari, but of course we will be out to prove the opposite."

Rubens Barrichello: "If I go to Hockenheim and win again, then that would be a step forward. But this year, the points system means that consistency pays off so it is much harder to come from behind. But I think it has made for an exciting and difficult championship this year. The long straights at Hockenheim were part of the circuit's charm. The new layout is not bad, with some overtaking possibilities, but not as many as on the old one. Without the long straights, nowadays when you get to the Stadium section, your first impression is that the car has improved so much, but in actual fact it's that you now run with more downforce and that is where the performance comes from. The new track is still quite 'busy' and it is complex to set up the car. The new rules mean that set up still requires a compromise, as you basically qualify in race trim, but still need to be quick for that one lap on Saturday afternoon and then have a car that is good until the first refuelling stop on Sunday. Last year we saw a good race and hopefully that will be the case this year. I think that not only ourselves and Williams, but also McLaren should be competitive and we will have to keep an eye on Renault."