Schumacher Supports F2003-GA, Blames Tyres

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher said today's result at the Monaco Grand Prix had nothing to do with Ferrari's car and he turned the heat on tyre suppliers Bridgestone after watching Formula One rival Kimi Raikkonen stretch his Championship lead.

"I think it is nothing to do with the car honestly," the five times World Champion said when asked if his third place could be seen as a setback for his F2003-GA car after it had won the last three races.

"There is no surprise if sometimes we don't win a race, that's the way it goes. These certain conditions, probably it is fair to say that on the tyre side we didn't look too good this weekend.

"If you look at our pace we were not far off but we were not in front and I would put that down to the tyres."

Schumacher had been hoping for a record-equalling sixth Monaco win but, while he led the race briefly, he could not match the Williams of winner Juan Pablo Montoya and Raikkonen's McLaren, both of whom use Michelin tyres.

Raikkonen was second and has 48 points to Schumacher's 44.

Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt said the result on a circuit where overtaking is almost impossible, demonstrated the growing challenge to Ferrari's supremacy, with McLaren taking the lead in the Constructors' Championship. Schumacher started fifth on the grid and felt finishing third was the best he could have hoped for.

"After the first pitstop we felt that Michael could have made up the other two places at his second stop," said Todt. "But as the gap grew bigger in the second part of the race, because the car-tyre package was not working at its best, this was not possible.

"This result is further proof that this season is very closely fought," he said. "We will have to work very hard in the next few weeks, both on the development of the F2003-GA and with Bridgestone on the tyres."