Post-Qualifying Press Conference - US GP

Q. Michael, at the start of this afternoon's qualifying either you were very brave or you must have had a very accurate weather forecast, because you sat there while everyone else went out immediately. How did you know it was not going to rain?

Michael Schumacher: I was hoping! Initially the circuit is [always] a little bit slower. I was confident it was not going to rain, honestly ... even though, when I went out, I got a few spots on my visor and I was concerned. So I pushed a bit harder, to finish the lap early and to get in my lap.

Q. On your last two runs, you and Rubens went out together. Did you have it in mind deliberately to get a good tow down the straight and swap the places between yourselves? MS: Basically, yes. There is such a long straight here that we played a bit of team tactics, just as these other two guys did in the end. Q. Yesterday, on the day when you normally set up your cars for the race, you weren't as quick as the McLarens. Are you satisfied that you have got a good set-up for tomorrow? MS: Don't worry. Yes! Q. David, in that final lap you just missed taking pole position, but we saw some great team work from McLaren. Whose idea was it to send Mika out with you for those last two laps that he still had left over from his 12 lap allocation? David Coulthard: Well ... (MH: 'It was my idea!') ... Adrian [Newey] came across and asked if it would help for Mika to give me a tow. To which my answer was, of course, that it would help. It did work quite well for me, and although I am not sure exactly how much time it gave me, it certainly gave me a little bit down the straight. Q. Judging from the speed trap times, you guys have been running with a lot more wing in qualifying than you did in the other practice sessions. Do you expect everyone to have taken off wing tomorrow to take advantage of the straight line speed? DC: Although this is a longer straight, with a longer period of time spent running flat out, than we have at other tracks, I think the same set-up strategy will apply tomorrow, because you still need to be able to get through the infield section [at competitive speed]. So, yes, there will probably be some wing being taken off [for tomorrow], but it's still important to make sure you have the quickest [possible] race car. Q. By giving David some help at the end there, it means you dropped down one place on the grid, to third. Are you disappointed? Mika Hakkinen: Not really, no. [I would do it again] depending on the situation, of course, but this time it was ideal. Looking at the starting grid, anyway. It is a bit weird, though, because it is all asphalt on the starting grid. So, when you do your start, you're going to lose traction very easily going over those little bumps. So the second row isn't bad, after all. Q. You helped David today. Tomorrow, with the championship at stake, do you expect him to pay you back? Do you expect him to be helping you? MH: Well ... at the moment we go into the race tomorrow we both expect to win. Me and also David. Let's wait and see how the race goes. We will have to understand what chances we have, which positions we are able to get. So let's see how the race develops. Q. Michael, that's a long run down to the first corner with a wide straight that will give a lot of other people the option to go for the inside line. Are you worried about the first corner and the funnel effect that is likely to be created as you all go into it? MS: There is always a worry for the first corner. Not more and not less here, honestly. You just have to be up front, put in a good start and turn in first to the first corner, then you'll be out of trouble. That's what you have to do. We'll see [tomorrow] whether we have [all] achieved it. Q. You just made some comments in German about the crowd here at the Speedway, and the atmosphere. Would you like to repeat those remarks in English? MS: Unfortunately the question hadn't been raised before, so I spoke about it in my own language. I said that we all feel very pleased about the welcome we have had here in the States. It is the first time we have been here for [nine] years and we have all been surprised by the reception we have had here, and by the number of spectators shouting for us and supporting us. It is great fun for us to be here and we hope to do a good show [for everyone] tomorrow.