Q & A with Jean Todt

Jean Todt: We were obviously very pleased about the first pole position for Felipe, the first win for Felipe with Scuderia Ferrari and he did a great race. We are obviously a bit disappointed because we had the potential the could have allowed us to be first and second, but due to the safety car it probably made our race more difficult. It did not help Michael, so as I said we had the potential to be first and second, and we finished first and third.

On the championship for the constructors', it allowed us to get closer because we are minus two, and we were minus seven. And on the drivers' championship we are two points further, we were minus 10 and now we are minus 12.

"Saying that, we have four races to go. We had a demonstration that our car was very quick during the weekend - first row, first and second quickest time during the race and we had very strong Bridgestone tyres. So I am convinced that we still have a chance to fight for both championships.

Q. The decision for the pit stop was rather an impossible decision for the team to make. If Felipe Massa stayed out so Michael was not queuing he would have lost an awful lot of time, so you were damned if you did and damned if you didn't.

JT: As I have said before, I think there would be five times more people to this press conference if I had asked Felipe Massa to let Michael through. That would have been the event of the race weekend. So I am sorry for you that we did not change the order in the pits.

Q. Bernie Ecclestone has said today that he believes Michael Schumacher has made up his mind already and that he will not carry on.

JT: I tell you something. Bernie Ecclestone does not have a single element to judge what Michael has decided.

Q. But he is not often wrong?

JT: You know, he has a good know-how about racing. But Michael joined Ferrari in 1996 and one day he will decide to stop. When the day arrives we will let you know.

Q. Michael lost 11 seconds during the first pit stop. Was that all due to the waiting time for Felipe, or was there another problem?

JT: It was only waiting time.

Q. Ferrari seemed more dominant in practice than the race. Is that impression correct, and if so what were the reasons?

JT: The race is always a bit different because the track is always changing - sometimes in our favour and sometimes against us. Saying that, maybe Michael's car was not as good as it was yesterday for part of the qualifying. Definitely the car was not as good as it was between Q2 and Q3 - and we will need to analyse the reasons. Again when the Safety Car came in the lap 14, our cars were quite well ahead of the others. It got more complicated because Michael was quite heavy with the fuel after the pit stop, he did a little mistake in sector two on lap 28 and lost about four seconds. You can see that when he made the second pit stop on lap 42 he was just one second behind Alonso. As I said before the safety car did not help us, but that is racing.

Q. Michael said he had some blistering in the second stint. Was that something that was caused by the different situation with the safety car, or do you think it would have come anyway?

JT: I don't think it had anything to do with that. He had old tyres at his pit stop and probably it was more demanding with the weight of the car, the set up of the car and it created some blisters.

Q. Just to come back to the safety car, your drivers had one full lap to do before coming in. So did you consider switching them around or did you think both had time to do the stop?

JT: Well, when the safety car is on the track you cannot overtake. You just cannot do it. Overtaking with the safety car is forbidden. That doesn't mean we would have done it, but we couldn't.

Q. Tonight what is your feeling? Happiness because Felipe Massa has won and you are only back just two points in the Constructors' Championship, or a little sadness because two more points have been lost by Michael Schumacher.

JT: You know my feeling is as I said before. We had the potential to be first and second, and we are first and third.

Q. Regarding the fact that your car was stronger than the Renault today, how do you see the outlook for the last four races?

JT: It will depend what the others will do as development, what will be the situation with the tyres. We know we have a good development programme but we don't know the development programme for the others. We know we have new tyres to test, new compound and new construction. I don't know what the others will have to test, so time will tell.

Q. Can you characterise Felipe Massa as a driver and his development during the season?

JT: After 14 races he is third in the championship, so he did not score 62 points by winning the race. He had 52 before the race, he now has 62 after he won. He was already third in the championship, so for those with open eyes he is a good driver.

Q. How much different to a driver does it make by winning their first race?

JT: I mean, definitely, it was a very good weekend for him because he had his first pole and his first win. So he will probably be even more dedicated to help the team to fight for both championships - even if he was already well dedicated. He is a very good team player.

Q. Was any consideration being made to swapping places at the front if Michael had got past Fernando?

JT: You will never know.

Q. Well, that is why I am asking?

JT: I have given my answer.

Q. Regarding Felipe you said if people had opened their eyes, and earlier this season you said he was an under-rated driver. Do you think this will change anything?

JT: Tonight, not only for you, I have a feeling he is a new champion. For me it is good to see your friend when you are in the shit and it is good to judge the driver when they are not winning. To judge somebody when you have some problems is probably more demanding, but more rewarding as well. I confirm that I always had the feeling that Felipe was a very talented driver. That is why we contracted him a few years ago and we are very happy to have him with us.

Q. You said Bernie doesn't know what Michael's decision is. Do you know?

JT: Bernie never knew and never made anything for Michael to join Ferrari, never. Very often I have been reading that it was organised through Bernie, which is complete nonsense. It is not true. When we announced Michael, it was in August 1995 and I call Bernie just before to inform him.

It is just to clarify the thing. The important thing is that Michael is driving, but Bernie does not have any idea whether Michael will be driving in the future or not. As you said before, he is such a clever guy that he has his feelings. Even being clever, sometimes you have good feelings and sometimes you have bad feelings.

Q. So if Bernie doesn't know, do you know?

JT: I know a lot of things in the team.

Q. So the decision is not made?

JT: No, my answer was that I know a lot of things in the team. It doesn't mean I know that or not.

Q. Has the constant speculation all season about drivers been unsettling for the team?

JT: No, it is like step by step. Before it was another thing and after it will be another one. Again, I keep saying that even if very often I don't agree with what is written, or the way it is written, I know that to do the job you need to create interest. So once one interest is over then you have to find another one, and it is fair. It is fairer if it does correspond to reality, sometimes.

You read things that have no ground, no meaning. Sometimes I am a bit surprised. The last example I heard that we took the table from Red Bull Racing (at a party this weekend). I never heard that. It is just bullshit. That has little consequences, but sometimes for important things it is the same. Sometimes, rather than only smiling for a little detail, it is a bit more frustrating.

Q. Do you know who your drivers will be next season?

JT: (Long pause) I am not going to speak about that. It doesn't make anything if I know or don't know. I know a lot of things inside of Ferrari.

Q. Will you tell us at Monza?

JT: We will make an announcement at Monza.

Q. But won't it create more pressure at Monza because there are three races afterwards for everybody to ask Michael questions?

JT: Let's keep some questions for Monza because otherwise it will be a short meeting.

Q. After the first few races you said you could not afford any more mistakes. How surprised are you that you are still able to win the championship despite what happened in Hungary?

JT: We did some mistakes but over a championship you always do some good things and some less good things. We lost a lot of points over the first three races considering the potential we had available. Still we are in a position to fight and it is not yet over.

Q. But how frustrating is what happened today? The difference could have been six points if Michael won and Fernando was third.

JT: Okay. The last race the question was the difference could be six points or 20 points, so again. The race is over. You cannot do it again.