Jarno Trulli Column

I think I had perfect weekend in Barcelona, with no mistakes, and always performing on a high level. I had a very good qualifying, and a very good race.

It was good to get a third place, because I was so close to getting a podium two times before, in Malaysia and especially Bahrain. In Bahrain I was disappointed, because we had a graining problem with the tyres. It stopped us from doing what we were going to do, which was fight for the podium. Anyway, the most important thing is that we are scoring points every race, and scoring points in the first five places. If I look back to all the disappointments I've had in past seasons, I must be very happy.

We didn't think that I'd get such a good start. In fact it was extremely good, almost too good for the people who were watching and thought it was a jumped start! But it wasn't. We were sitting there for a longer time than normal. When I reacted it actually was the same time as the lights came off. It was on one side lucky, on the other side good timing!

We know that there's a chance of getting in front when you start from the second row. It's pretty natural to think about it. But the most important thing for us was to jump Montoya and Sato, because we felt we had a better pace than them. To be honest I wasn't thinking about passing Michael...

I think Michael was just waiting in the first stint. He was very quick, quicker than anyone else, so I think his strategy was just to wait for the pit stops. In fact he got closer once we got to lap eight or lap nine. He knew that in two or three laps we would both be pitting. I don't think he really tried to attack me, and even if he was keeping a good pace, it wasn't important for him to pass me.

I wasn't surprised that he got ahead at the stops, because the fact is, Ferrari are quicker. In half a lap on their own they can push very hard, and can maybe make up one second. Then with 10kgs less fuel at the pit stop, they are ahead of you. Once they are ahead of you, they stay ahead. In the middle of the race I found out that Rubens was on two stops; it's amazing that Ferrari can succeed with two or three stops...

Fernando was behind me in the last stint. I was just controlling him, and he didn't really catch me, only on the last lap, when it was over. Of course, it's always important to beat your team mate. We know we are rivals, but I don't want it to look like I'm just racing Fernando. I'm just trying to do the best with the car I have.

I keep finishing races, which didn't happen in the past. It's important because I can prove to the whole world that what they were thinking - that I was not reliable or whatever, and speculating on my misfortune - was not right. Now things have changed, and it's getting better. And when things are getting better for me, the results come.

There was a lot of discussion in Spain about future rules changes. I've received a letter from the GPDA, and I will look into it and respond as soon as possible. This is something that we need to get involved in a bit more, not because we want to decide what happens, but because we think we can contribute to improving F1 and the rules. Maybe as drivers we can give some advice, and this will be helpful for the FIA. So this is what we are trying to do for the future.

In fact we are having a meeting in Monaco, with all the GPDA directors and members, and we want to discuss some issues, and one of them will be the FIA/GPDA relationship. For example, we were not happy with the third driver rule this year, but we came in a bit too late in discussing this issue, because the FIA didn't let us know.

I've always enjoyed Monaco, and it's one of those tracks where the driver has to be very confident in the car, and confident with the circuit. It's not difficult to say what you need. It could be a good one for me personally, but we just have to wait and see what the car will be like there. We know that this year our car can be extremely difficult to drive. It might be good, it might not be. And if it's difficult in Monaco it's not easy to be quick!