12-May: At the post Race press conference for the Austrian GP,
Michael Schumacher appeared embarrassed taking a win that was
deservedly his team-mate's. He indicated that he wasn't happy about taking the
win and said "I don't think it is the way we would like to have the
situation, certainly. I'm not very pleased about it, especially the way this
year is going, but then we probably have to respect the team for this
decision, although maybe there isn't a lot of respect from some people. But
these people who don't respect the decision don't run a team and don't know
how much there is involved in the one target we have. In the end, if we may
have the opportunity to do it, to win the championship, then....
If you look at last year, we had the same situation and in the end it wasn't
probably necessary to do what we have done here last year but you don't know
before. If you look at what has happened with Hakkinen and Coulthard in 1999,
Hakkinen could have almost lost the championship because of the Spa situation
in 1999. If this would have happened, I'm sure some of you guys would have
gone back and said why didn't you let him go by there. It's a two way
situation where you never win, you will always be the loser and as I said, I'm
not very happy about it either, today. I wished they wouldn't have come on the
radio to tell me this. I wish we could have finished the race the way it was.
I was pushing until the end, and you never know what is going to happen but it
was clearly not enough. He did a superb race, Rubens, today. He simply has
outpaced me this weekend and that's something, from the team point of view, to
some degree, challenging, I would say, even from my point of view. Having a
strong guy like him next to me is really pushing me. So the race itself I
enjoyed with the exception of the last couple of hundred meters."
He even admitted that he thought about not passing Rubens at the end and said
"I was thinking very strongly about this and that is why said I was
hoping there wouldn't be such an order. If you can see the telemetry data on
the straight when Rubens backed off, I backed off but then he backed off even
further. You sit outside and you have a lot of time to think about all of
this. We sit in there and it wasn't a long preparation of discussion. They
came on in the last couple of metres on the radio and said that he would back
off. I didn't feel like, but then I have to be honest to say no it was
probably the wrong decision to win this race, yes I agree, but if I had the
chance to turn it around I would probably do but I cannot now."
Yet Michael then admitted that he was in favour of team-orders and said
"Honestly, it is not in our hands. To some degree I am in favour of this
(team-orders) and have always said that team strategy is important. We are
maybe in a very special situation this year where we have a very strong car,
we have so far a reasonably comfortable lead in terms of points, and that is
maybe why it is a little bit more a point of discussion. And that is why as
well that I am not very happy about it. But then what is really different to
last year, to some degree? It is the same time in the year, the Grand Prix is
the same one, and you have to see the target of the team. The team wants to
win the championship and they invest with sponsors, with people behind, so
much money in that, if we fail in this target for maybe a point in the end,
you never know, then we look stupid and the team simply doesn't want to get
into this situation. And as I said before if Rubens would have had a different
points situation I am sure the team wouldn't have taken this decision."
(Note last year following team-orders at the Austrian GP when Rubens gave
second place to Michael, Ferrari's President was quoted "the
difference between second and third places doesn't change anything. It would
have been different if he had been in the lead and then no one would have
touched him."
This year Michael has an even bigger lead in the Championship and Ferrari
still applied team-orders!)
Michael didn't answer when he was asked if that was Motor Racing. He also
didn't answer when asked if he wanted to be World Champion because he was the
best racer or the one with the best contract.
Rubens Barrichello indicated that there was no point in complaining
about what happened and said "I think I have had the experience, so it
wasn't (too difficult to move over)...I'm not joking, I have been asked to do
it, I have said nothing and I think it's a team decision. I've just signed a
two year contract with them and I thought I should respect it.
I'm going through a period of a very good time of my life. I'm becoming a
better person, a better driver, so there's no point in arguing. I think my
determination will bring me a lot more wins, so that's the way I see it, so
there's no point arguing. We saw it when Michael gave me the trophy, the
trophy I take home today so I'm happy for that.
I think I've grown up from what we've had in the past. I think we should stop
talking about it. It's a team decision. Today, it wasn't like last year when
we were talking, talking, talking. I've been asked to do it and I said that
there would be any reason for that because we were going quite fast in first
and second, they told me they wanted me to do it. I said, I will do it and
that's it.
Juan Pablo Montoya put his opinion on the matter by
saying "I won't really get involved in it. It is team orders. That's the
way they work. It is disappointing, I would say, for Rubens. He has been
working, and in the last few races you can see he has been starting to
out-pace Michael and he has been really strong. I really felt he deserved
this.
Michael, when you really think about it, doesn't really have any challenge in
the championship. I am running second and we have done six races and he is
already more than 20 points ahead of me. And they are maybe a second a lap
clear on us, so what they are nervous about I don't know. But it is a team
decision, I am sorry for Rubens, and he did deserve it."
When asked what he would do if he was in a similar situation, he said
"Well, I would probably have to lift. If I was in Rubens' position I
either lift or look for a job somewhere else. Simple."
12-May: What the teams and
drivers said following the Race in Austria ... Report
12-May:
Austrian GP
– Race: Michael Schumacher wins the race after Rubens Barrichello
lets him through. Juan Pablo Montoya finishes 3rd ahead of Ralf
Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella and David Coulthard ... Timed
Results ... Report ... Notes.
12-May:
Austrian GP
– Warm-up Session: Rubens Barrichello sets the fastest time of the
session ahead of team-mate Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa. Heinz
Harald Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld and Enrique Bernoldi make the top 6 ... Timed
Results ... Report ... Notes.
Friday
Practice Session 1
Friday Practice Session 2
Saturday Practice Session 1
Saturday Practice Session 2 Qualifying Session
Warm-up Session Race
11
AM Spielberg Time / 9 AM GMT
1 PM Spielberg Time / 11 AM GMT
9 AM Spielberg Time / 7 AM GMT
10:15 AM Spielberg Time / 8:15 AM GMT 1 PM Spielberg Time / 11 AM GMT 9:30 AM Spielberg Time / 7:30 AM GMT 2 PM Spielberg Time / 12 PM GMT
