09.03.2004 'THE CAR WAS FANTASTIC' MICHAEL SCHUMACHER ELATED AFTER AN EASY WIN IN MELBOURNE

Superlatives do not normally characterise his speech, but on Sunday afternoon Michael Schumacher seemed very inclined to use expressions such as ‘perfect’, ‘super’, ‘marvellous’ or ‘fantastic’. The first race of the year did not go too badly for the F2004: ‘you could say it went well for us’, stated Michael without hesitation. ‘The car is simply fantastic, the tyres are great and the work that Shell have done on the engine meant we didn’t have any problems at all’.

Words of praise, then, for Ferrari’s technical partners but as always tempered with pragmatism: ‘the Melbourne circuit favoured us; we’ve always had great results here. Also, our competitors didn’t race as well as they usually do, but this didn’t do as any harm’.

Michael didn’t want to get too carried away: ‘we shouldn’t read too much into this result. It is okay to be satisfied when we have reached the objectives we set ourselves but we shouldn’t commit the error of considering the season to be all downhill from here on. After only one race is impossible to judge with certainty the relative strengths of each team’. There is no fear that this will happen as Michael makes clear: ‘this will never happen to us!’

Prudence and realism; but this doesn’t mean that Michael isn’t more than satisfied with the F2004. ‘During the whole winter we attracted the attention of our competitors and each of them was thinking their own thing. I knew our test statistics for the new car and I knew that they were very promising. The only doubt, as always, was how it would perform on the track. Luckily, we had good results right from the off and this sensation was reinforced after the first tests.

"The Australian GP went very well but Michael knew this all along: ‘if I have to be honest I knew that we were able to win the first race. I wouldn’t say that this was just my personal sensation. I would say that my enthusiasm comes from knowing that at Maranello this sensation is shared by everybody.’ Schumacher emphasised that at Ferrari no-one holds back, nobody appears tired; everybody gives the best that they’ve got. ‘When I set foot in the factory a few weeks after Suzuka 2003 I perceived the sensation and it gave me even more desire’. Races like that in Melbourne are the culmination perfect preparation and that surprises even somebody like Schumacher: ‘I have to tip my hat to the whole team.’

Shortly after 7pm Melbourne time, Michael left the paddock accompanied by his manager Willi Weber. A ten-day break awaits him.
The next official engagement will be on the Thursday before the race in Sepang. ‘A holiday does you good, above all before a race like Malaysia: stressful and difficult’. A few hours after winning the 71st race of his career, Michael stated that ‘Malaysia is a sort of reference point for getting an early understanding of the stage of your development. Over the past few years we’ve had some difficulties, will see how it goes this time.’