Sunday team by team: Part 2

Another points scoring finish for Sauber as it confirmed it sixth place in the constructors' championship. Felipe Massa came home eighth after leading the race at one-point during a pit-stop window early in the race, while Giancarlo Fisichella had to recover from a first lap spin to eventually come home ninth.

GIANCARLO FISICHELLA: "Early on I was running very close to another car and got caught out and had to go on to the grass when it braked earlier than I expected. I lost time there, and after that we were unlucky with the weather. My strategy was good but the changeable conditions spoiled it, so for me it was a frustrating final race for Sauber. That's racing, so most of all I would like to say thank you to everyone in the team for such a great season."

FELIPE MASSA: "It was a fantastic feeling, leading the race. I will never forget that lap! Early on it was very slippery but the car was really fast. I lost some ground when Rubens was a bit cautious, but I could catch people really quickly. After we changed tyres and the track dried it was very hard to find grip until the end of each stint, but I settled into a confident pace and I am satisfied after achieving my goal of scoring a point. Leading a race in front of my home crowd was the icing on the cake!"




Jaguar bowed out of Formula 1 by beating Toyota to seventh place in the constructors' championship - although it could not have come with a more disappointing race. Mark Webber ended his Jaguar career with a broken car at the side of the track following a collision with team-mate Christian Klien, who recovered to finish 14th.

MARK WEBBER: "My start off the grid today was ok although it was short lived as I entered corner one and I was forced to avoid the Renault of Villeneuve as he ran wide. This lost me four or five places and was of course frustrating. I was planning on making my way up the grid and I managed this for the first few laps as I was in ninth position by lap four. I then pitted for new tyres and lost some time as I had to queue up behind Christian. We were back out quick enough and I started racing again and went to overtake Christian on lap 24. Unfortunately we tangled as he appeared not to see me coming and that was the end of my race. A sad end to what should have been a more rewarding race. I have had an amazing two years with Jaguar Racing and I am fortunate enough to have had the pleasure to work with some incredibly talented people during this time. I have learnt a lot and shared a lot and it is with a heavy heart that not only do I leave the team but that the team is to close as Jaguar Racing. I have a lot of people to thank, amongst them, the team for their support and belief in me, Cosworth Racing and Pi Research and of course Michelin. All round a pretty good bunch of guys!"

CHRISTIAN KLIEN: "I made a good start and the beginning of the race was fun for me to drive. I was on intermediate tyres and had a good line into the first few corners and managed to overtake a few people. My first pit-stop was a bit too late and I lost a couple of positions after that. I was then following the two Toyotas but had no opportunity to overtake. Mark was coming closer to me and I saw him in my mirror but I did not think he was close enough to overtake but he tried it and we collided. The remainder of my race saw my car not as well balanced as it should have been and although the car was ok for the remainder of the race it was not as easy to drive. There were also a lot of blue flags and although I tried my best and I am pleased to have finished my last race with Jaguar Racing, I am disappointed with the outcome as both Mark and I were in good positions. I have had a fantastic season with the team and I have enjoyed every moment. They are great fun to work with and they have helped me so much during this time. I would like to thank them all."




Another frustrating afternoon for Toyota that resulted in it failing to score the points it needed to overhaul Jaguar in the constructors' championship. Jarno Trulli suffered because of a lack of experience of the TF104B in damp conditions, eventually finishing 12th, while Ricardo Zonta followed him home after struggling with balance issues in the closing stages of the race.

JARNO TRULLI: "It was a difficult race this afternoon. I got a good start and was up to sixth, but I struggled every time the track was a bit damp. I believe this was due to a general lack of experience I have with the TF104B. As the track got drier and quicker, I was getting more and more competitive. I tried to do my best, but unfortunately we were again out of the points. However, it has been a positive weekend because I could see that the car was better compared to Suzuka. It is just a shame we couldn't end the season in the points. Finally, I would like to say thank you to the team for giving me such a warm welcome over these last two races and for helping me settle in so easily. 2004 was my best season in Formula 1, but I am looking forward to an even better 2005 with Toyota, who I have discovered to be a fantastic team with great potential."

RICARDO ZONTA: "I think it was a quite an exciting race because of the ever-changing wet-dry conditions. In the damp, at the start of the race, the speed of the car was quite good and I was able to overtake some cars, which was fun. Towards the end, I had some balance problems and I found it quite difficult to drive the car. It was great to race in Brazil in front of my home crowd and I think we did a good job this weekend, especially as I have also been unwell. I am pleased with the team's efforts and particularly with the new crew that I was working with this weekend. I would like to say thanks to the team for an enjoyable season."




The end of a difficult season for Jordan and a very disappointing weekend compared to its triumphant visit to Interlagos last year. Timo Glock finished 15th, while Nick Heidfeld retired after suffering a clutch problem.

TIMO GLOCK: "My start was not bad but I didn't get a good line through the first corner and then for the first part of the race it was really slippery - the car was pretty nervous and I lost time. After the first and second pit stops the car was better, certainly after the first few laps, when the tyres came in. Unfortunately I lost too much time when being lapped by other cars. I'm pleased to have finished the race without mistakes. It has been a satisfying season for me and it was great to drive four races, that was good experience for me. I need to learn how to find a better pace for racing, always improving myself more and more. Everything is experience though and I'm looking forward to next year already."

NICK HEIDFELD: "I had a good start and made up a couple of places, but I had to retire quite early with a clutch problem. It's disappointing not to finish the last race because I wanted to show a good performance and give the team a good last race of the season. I would like to thank everybody in the team for their effort and hard work they have done this year and also for all the support they have given me."




Another non-points scoring afternoon for Minardi, although team boss Paul Stoddart remains upbeat about the dramatic changes proposed for Formula 1 next year to cut costs. Gianmaria Bruni struggled with his car set-up and a delayed final pit-stop to come home 17th, right behind Zsolt Baumgartner who overcame a bad cold to get his car to the finish.

ZSOLT BAUMGARTNER: "It was a very hard race and I had some problems, as I picked up a cold earlier in the week here in Brazil. As a result, I was a little worried about how I would be during the race, as this is a very physically demanding track, As it turned out, I was able to concentrate and push hard right to the end with a very consistent pace. I'm happy with today's result and with the lap times, and I'd like to express my thanks to the whole team for their efforts this season, as well as to Bridgestone for the excellent tyres they have provided throughout the year. Today was my 20th Grand Prix and I am very pleased to have finished the race."

GIANMARIA BRUNI: "All told, it wasn't a very good day for me. I started the race on shallow wet tyres and, after a few laps, had to come in, but with Zsolt also coming in, I lost a bit of time. When I changed to dry tyres with the set-up we had, the car developed a lot of oversteer, which lasted for much of the race. We couldn't really improve the situation, but in the last stint, I think maybe the track improved a bit and the set-up started to work better, so I was able to turn some better lap times. Having lost some time during my last pit stop, though, I just concentrated on getting to the chequered flag."