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2002 German Grand Prix 
What the teams and drivers said - Sunday 

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What the teams and drivers said - Sunday

Ferrari ( Michael Schumacher - 1st, Rubens Barrichello - 4th ) 

Jean Todt: "This is our tenth win of the year, which is something Ferrari has only achieved once before in a single season, back in 2000. Michael dearly wanted to win here in Germany, in front of his home fans, having taken the title in Magny-Cours. The result came at the end of a very tough race. In difficult conditions and very high temperatures, our cars went well, as did the Bridgestone tyres. Just before the start we had some concerns about Rubens’ race car, which had a transmission problem and so we decided to switch him to the spare. Then, Rubens had a refuelling problem, which meant that fourth was the best he could do, at the end of a race during which he gave his all. We continue to enjoy a dream time. With these 13 points we have increased our lead in the Constructors’ classification to 65 points with five races remaining. Furthermore, we will continue to give all possible support to Rubens in the fight for second place in the Drivers’ Championship."

Michael Schumacher: "I have been dreaming of this result for a long time. We have enjoyed a lot of success with Ferrari in the past three years, but it seemed that Hockenheim was not supposed to be mine. It means a lot to me and seeing all the crowd on the slowing down lap was a dream come true, after winning the championship last week. Finally winning in Germany after being with Ferrari for seven years is just amazing after everything we have achieved this year. I can only thank God. The team did a fantastic job again. On the first stint, I had a tight battle with Ralf. I was worried about the tyres which were blistering and I had to fight to keep my advantage. On my second stint, the tyres were very good and I could attack consistently. Then, on the third stint I could settle down and was able to slow more after Ralf had to pit. In the end, I just took it easy to bring the car home. Now I plan to relax with my family during the break and recharge my batteries for the rest of the season. We are approaching our second goal, of winning the Constructors’ title."

Rubens Barrichello: "It was a very difficult race. As I was going onto the grid, I felt there was something not quite right on the race car, so to be on the safe side we decided to take the spare. After the start, the car was going quite well, but it was not easy for me to try and get past Ralf. When I made my second pit-stop the fuel flap on the car did not open and that cost me precious time and a place on the podium. Once back on track, I concentrated on bringing the car home to pick up points for the Championship."

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Williams ( Juan Pablo Montoya - 2nd, Ralf Schumacher - 3rd )

Patrick Head: "Obviously we have had a much better performance today than in recent races. We have made a lot of progress during the last week after the French Grand Prix. I would like to thank the engineers and mechanics at the race-track as well as all the people back at the factory in Grove for all of their efforts."

Dr. Mario Theissen: "We have been quite strong this weekend and achieved a very good race result. Apart from seeing both of our drivers on the podium I am happy that after a long time we were able to keep Ferrari’s pace again. Ralf and Juan both drove strong races without making any mistakes. To enable Juan to get past Kimi Raikkonen on lap 11 we gave him more revs for a while. With just four laps to go we had to call Ralf in for another pit stop. We had to refill air into the pneumatic valve system of the engine and we will now have to analyse why the air consumption was higher than normal."

Juan Pablo Montoya: "Of course I didn’t expect to come second, it happened thanks to the misfortune of Rubens and Ralf, but this is racing and such things happen. This is my best result in seven races in spite of the fact that I was on pole for five races. The fight with Raikkonen was very entertaining. After he passed me at the start I had a few chances to overtake him, but it was too risky and I preferred waiting. Then the team told me I could make it and pumped my revs up, which gave me some additional power. I had good acceleration and Raikkonen did as well but then he made a mistake and I got past."

Ralf Schumacher: "If I look at all the problems I had today I should be happy to have finished third. A couple of things went wrong today. First Trulli held me up then I was slowed down by Villeneuve when I was approaching the pits and finally I had an additional stop to top up the pressurised air for the pneumatic valve drive of the engine. Anyway, positions two and three are a good result for the team."

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McLaren ( David Coulthard - 5th, Kimi Raikkonen - Retired )

Ron Dennis: "Even though we chose the appropriate tyre on which to race both drivers still suffered with inconsistent balance throughout. Kimi's tyre failure and the damage inflicted on the left rear braking duct effectively put him out of a points position. David's race was uneventful but a stark contrast to our performance last weekend at Magny Cours. The team will as always focus on the next event ? there are still races left to win."

Norbert Haug: "A disappointing result at our home Grand Prix. We suffered from blistering tyres and obviously didn't find the right harmony between tyres and chassis. We will get a clearer picture of what went wrong today."

David Coulthard: "A bad weekend compared to Magny Cours, but I think fifth was the best we could do in the circumstances. I gained a few places at the start and then lost a bit of time behind Trulli. Once I got past him it was a matter of keeping the car on the track and hope for reliability. My first set of tyres was blistering a bit so we made a few adjustments in the pitstop. I was then quick in my middle stint compared to the other Michelin runners but really two points was all there was in it today. Now like everybody else in the paddock I look forward to the break."

Kimi Raikkonen: "I got a good get away and managed to get ahead of Montoya to claim fourth. We had a great battle where we were side-by-side from turn six until turn 12 but he was quicker than me and in the end he managed to get in front. I was comfortable in fifth place when all of a sudden I had a puncture but managed to get the car back to the pits. However in the process the car incurred some damage to the floor, the bodywork and the brake duct. However I was still able to do reasonably quick lap times. On lap 62 I lost control of the car at the last corner and that was the end of my race."

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Sauber ( Nick Heidfeld - 6th, Felipe Massa - 7th )

Peter Sauber: "Reliability is a part of competition, and both drivers and the team did a good job today. I am very happy to draw another point closer to Renault in the World Championship for Constructors."

Nick Heidfeld: "The start of the race was pretty hectic. There was an awful lot of traffic. It took me a while to find a rhythm, but after that the car was pretty good apart from some understeer. My only problem was when I slid on to the grass in the stadium. I don't know whether that was my mistake or whether there was oil down. Whatever, it's good to score a point racing at home."

Felipe Massa: "I had a fantastic opening stint and was able to overtake many cars while running ahead of Nick. I think today I proved that I can race well in F1. It's good to see the team earn another point, but of course I wish I could have been the one to score it."

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Jordan ( Takuma Sato - 8th, Giancarlo Fisichella - Retired )

Eddie Jordan: "We had a chance for 6th place with Giancarlo but unfortunately a problem in the pit stop with the right front wheel cost him a lot of time and finally his engine went, which is a shame. Takuma drove a good race and did well to go from 12th place to finish 8th. I am hopeful for the future because our performance has improved, but I am disappointed that we didn’t come away from this race with a couple of points."

Takuma Sato: "Eighth is my best finish so far which is a great result for me. It’s a shame it wasn’t inside the points, but I am getting closer. I had an exciting race, overtaking a couple of people with some dramatic moves, which was really enjoyable. The pit stop strategy worked well. At the end of the race I lost some stability with the car, but I kept going. Looking forward, our good form is a promising sign and points are my next target."

Giancarlo Fisichella: "I had a problem with the clutch on my first pit stop and then the team had trouble with the right front wheel, so I lost quite a lot of time. The car was driving quite well so it’s a shame. I am disappointed about having to retire this time but we are getting better so I’m looking ahead to the next race."

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Toyota ( Mika Salo - 9th, Allan McNish - Retired )

Ove Andersson: "I am very relieved we have managed to finish a race after so many retirements. It means a tremendous amount to all of us. I feel sorry for Allan, but ahead of the three-week break, to get a finish is a big boost and we can look towards Hungary with confidence."

Mika Salo: "I didn't get such a good start and the car didn't feel very good in the first stint with a lot of oversteer. We dropped the front wing on my first stop and from then on the car was competitive. When you start from 19th it is not going to be easy to get a result, but simply finishing the race today was a good result for us after the recent reliability problems we have had."

Allan McNish: "When I left the pits after my scheduled stop, the car just did not accelerate correctly. I tried to get the car back to the pits but unfortunately I got stuck at the end of the straight. It seems there was a hydraulics problem. We were beginning to go well and I was looking forward to the rest of the race. It is frustrating, no question about it"

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Jaguar ( Eddie Irvine - Retired, Pedro de la Rosa - Retired )

Niki Lauda: "A very hot and challenging Hockenheim proved too much today for over half the field and unfortunately, we were on the receiving end too. We are not quite sure what caused Pedro’s transmission issue but it appears that he lost all drive on the back straight while in seventh gear. Eddie, however, was let down by his traction control system that developed a problem on lap 6 and in the end Eddie was chasing a race that was too far ahead of him. His traction control problem then forced him into another spin on lap 13 and once you fall to the back of the race, it is impossible to compensate for this. Eddie did his level best to push but a brake problem put paid to his race on lap 57. We are disappointed, yes, and finding the reasons behind these issues is our immediate priority now. We have made some good progress with this car and we cannot allow reliability issues to cloud the reality. We looked better than the reality in France and conversely, we have made ourselves look worse than the reality here in Germany."

Eddie Irvine: "That was a very difficult race which saw me suffer problem after problem. I got off to a pretty good start and after 6 laps, found myself behind Jenson Button who was obviously suffering from a problem. As I went to pass him, I buried the throttle and spun because of a failure with the traction control system. The spin forced me to re-join the race in 18th position but that wasn’t the end of it. On lap 13, I suffered the same fate again and decided to switch the traction control off altogether. In addition to this, I was suffering from a general grip problem that seems to have plagued many drivers today. I like the revised layout of the Hockenheim circuit but the grip level has been poor all weekend. Nonetheless, I kept pushing and in the end, I was forced to retire with a brake problem on lap 57."

Pedro de la Rosa: "Given that my race ended before the second lap of the race started, I have very little to say! I made a reasonable start and as I came out of turn two into the back straight, there was no drive in seventh gear. There was simply no option but to call it a day and given that I took the harder tyre option, it would have been very interesting to have raced today. It’s even more disappointing given that only nine cars finished the race."

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Arrows ( Enrique Bernoldi - Retired, Heinz Harald Frentzen -Retired )

Graham Taylor: "'Following an unfortunate stall at the start of the race, Heinz was running at a reasonable pace but, being three laps down, was handicapped by the leaders catching him. Enrique was running well but we were overworking the tyres with a low downforce strategy. This allowed him to catch the cars in front but he was struggling at the end of his stints. He then suffered an engine failure. Overall, a very disappointing result for us."

Enrique Bernoldi: "I was having a good race today as there was a big group of us out there together. I was running with low wing so, although I could catch them, it was hard to get past through the corners. It's a real shame as we have so much potential but we'll keep working hard, have a small break, and will be back fighting-fit in Hungary."

Heinz Harald Frentzen: "I don't know what happened at the start. The engine just died and that was really the end of my race. I was having difficulties selecting gears when I came in for my pit-stop and the team told me I had a hydraulic leak and took the decision to retire the car. It's pretty disappointing that this should happen at my home Grand Prix but problems like this can strike anywhere."

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BAR ( Jacques Villeneuve - Retired, Olivier Panis - Retired )

David Richards: "This has been a weekend full of promise and it’s a great shame that we were unable to bring it to a more successful conclusion. The indication from the outset was that we would be quite competitive here and, despite having to get to grips with a new circuit, we went on to achieve our best qualifying position of the season. We went into the race with great optimism that points were within our grasp and Olivier was running in 6th position at just over half distance when he suffered an engine problem. Equally, Jacques had just started to turn his race around when it was suddenly cut short. Nevertheless, we take great encouragement from the progress we have made this weekend, particularly the significant step forward we have seen with the Honda engine. The team can now enjoy a good break before the hard work starts again for Hungary."

Olivier Panis: "Obviously I’m very disappointed not to finish after such a good weekend. I lost a couple of places at the start but then I worked hard to regain them. My race was a great fight from beginning to end and, after making my way through the traffic, I was improving all the time. The car felt fine until my first pitstop but then I felt something wrong and we now know it was the engine. It’s a real shame because we’ve been very competitive here. I was very happy to qualify 7th and today, sitting in our best grid position of the season, I had a good feeling. I was in the points when my race ended so we’ll never know how well things could have turned out. Most importantly, we’ve seen a good step forward from Honda here. The car has been quick all weekend and I’m sure we can look forward to five good races ahead. As usual, the team have done a great job and I hope they enjoy the break. I’m looking forward to a relaxing holiday and some time with my family before preparing for the Hungarian Grand Prix in three weeks."

Jacques Villeneuve: "As a team we’ve been very competitive but it’s a disappointing end to a difficult weekend here for me. The car had a lot of oversteer until the first pitstop but after we changed the tyres it felt a lot better. My race really got going then and I could start to attack. We were relatively quick compared to the people we were racing and I started to make up places, but then I had a gearbox problem and my race was over. We’ve seen some good signs this weekend though. The engine was working well here so let’s hope we can continue to improve during the rest of the season. The team have been working hard all year so they deserve a break now. There’s still some work to be done to prepare for the next race but it gives everyone a bit of down-time. Hungary is a very physical race so, as well as enjoying a holiday with Elly, there’s a lot of preparation ahead for me with my trainer Erwin."

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Renault ( Jarno Trulli - Retired, Jenson Button - Retired )

Pat Symonds: "The interesting challenge of this new circuit presented us with some surprises in the race. Jarno's first set of tyres gave problems which necessitated an early stop while Jenson's appeared to get better and better. Unfortunately, Jenson experienced some power loss which we have yet to explain, and his engine then cut out. Having started to make progress on his second set of tyres, Jarno went off while challenging for position."

Jarno Trulli: "I'm extremely disappointed today. I made a good start and kept up with the leaders for a few laps. Afterwards, I started losing time because of the tyres, and had to stop earlier than expected as a result. I don't really understand why I got the drive through penalty: the team had warned me over the radio, and I felt I'd left enough room. The retirement was my fault: I was following Giancarlo very closely, and got caught up in his braking. There was nothing else I could do to avoid a collision."

Jenson Button: "What can I say? I had understeer from the start, possibly because of a problem with the differential. After that, I lost engine power: we fixed the problem by switching off the traction control, but that obviously made it even harder to drive the car. Then the engine cut out on the long straight at the back of the circuit. It's been a weekend to forget."

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Minardi ( Mark Webber - Retired, Alex Yoong - Did Not Qualify )

Alex Yoong: Did Not Qualify

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