Malaysian Grand Prix – Sepang, 19th March 2006
Felipe Massa: 5th + 43.254 56 laps chassis
252
Michael Schumacher: 6th + 43.854 56 laps
chassis 253
Temperatures: air 33°C, track 39/40 °C
Jean Todt: “Considering all the problems
that we’ve had over the weekend, today our objective
was to bring home some points and that’s what we achieved.
The team and the drivers worked well as did the Bridgestone
tyres. Today it was very difficult for us because Michael,
on a two-stop strategy was starting from 14th place on the
grid and Felipe 21st, was on a one-stop strategy. The seven
points that we’ve picked up – four with Felipe
and three with Michael - are very important in as far as future
prospects are concerned in that we’re only at the start
of the season. I’m very pleased for Felipe because he
deservedly got his first championship points as a Ferrari
driver. Now we have to work very hard in all areas so as to
improve our competitiveness and reliability.”
Felipe Massa: “I’m very pleased
with this result and I would like to thank the team for an
excellent job. To start from the last row and end up 5th is
a good result. Our strategy worked well and I was able to
make a good start. During the race I was able to push a bit
more at the right moment knowing that during the other phases
I would have needed to play more of a waiting game. I lost
quite a bit of time behind some of the slower cars but when
I had a free track I was able to improve my rhythm keep a
good pace. It was a difficult race but finishing fifth gives
me that extra bit of motivation for the next races where I
hope to be able and compete with the front runners.”
Michael Schumacher: “We can accept
this result, considering everything that has happened over
the weekend. I don’t think that we could have achieved
much more. On my second stint I wasn’t as quick as I
was on my first and third one, so now we need to understand
the reasons why. All things said and done, the race went basically
as I had expected even if one always hopes for something more.
During my first pit stop I had to wait a fraction of a second
before going out because another car was coming down the pit
lane. This was a wise decision from the safety point of view.
During the closing stages of the race I was not able to get
past Felipe because I just wasn’t fast enough and he
didn’t make any mistakes. This track has always been
one of the most difficult for us. Melbourne is a completely
different circuit and I hope that it will be better suited
to our 248 F1. Now I’m going to take a few days off
with my wife Corinna before travelling on to Australia.”
Ross Brawn: “Obviously this result
isn’t too bad considering how we qualified. The tyre
performance was consistent and this proves that we chose the
right compound, especially in the first stint. Michael didn’t
quite have the pace in the second stint so we need to understand
exactly why. That’s why he lost the ground to Felipe
and Heidfeld.”
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