Italy Preview Quotes: Ferrari

Michael Schumacher: "After almost four days of testing at this circuit, I am confident about this weekend's race. Last week's testing was very promising and I think I can fight for the win. The layout is very similar to Montreal, where we won and also the F2003-GA goes very well on high speed circuits. Obviously, we cannot promise anything and given the competitiveness of our rivals the race is bound to be very close. But I can say that we will do our utmost so that our fans can celebrate with us. Obviously, this is a special event for us. The Monza circuit represents the temple of Italian motor sport and all of us consider the Italian Grand Prix to be a tough challenge. We are determined to perform really well, especially for the tifosi, even though, unlike the past couple of years, we will not be able to celebrate winning the title with them. But this time, we need their support, just as we did in 2000, when we were in a similar situation as regards the championship. And we all remember how that turned out."

Rubens Barrichello: "I discovered at the Monza test that my back bothers me more when I am outside the car exercising than when I am in the cockpit. Having said that, it has not affected my training as it is only a minor inconvenience. I am sure it will not be a problem for the next race, as Monza is all about pushing your right foot down on the throttle pedal as hard as you can, with little physical demands on the driver.

"I was always happy with the set-up of the car, even though I lost some track time in the mornings of the first two days. The last day was very useful, trying the new aero package and different tyre types. Bridgestone has done a lot of work and I am confident we have taken a step forward on this element of the package. The results mean I am quite optimistic for the end of the season. Having said that, I think it will be a good fight between the top four teams, which are all very close now in performance terms. This will be especially true at Monza, where the characteristics of the track will make the competition even closer between us. It's going to be an exciting race.

"It was my best win last year. So this time I will be looking forward to trying to repeat that result. I prefer Monza to Imola. I think Monza offers purer racing as it has more potential for overtaking. I am sure there will be a lot of pressure on the team as this is a home race, but Ferrari is strong enough to handle that pressure."