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Schumacher
Talks Frankly after Spa
RTL Question: This time you looked like the winner for a long time,
but again it wasn't enough. How would you sum up the race on your favourite
track? Click here to return to the Ferrari
Happenings page.
28.8.00
The German TV station, RTL, conducted an interview with Michael Schumacher
after the Belgian Grand Prix race at Spa-Francorchamps. The following
is a transcript of that interview:
Schumacher: Second place, six points - can't think of what else to say,
really. I am neither really happy nor am I truly disappointed. I had
the win within my grasp. Mika at the end was clearly quicker. He overtook
me in a way that was astounding and brilliant, it was a super manoeuvre.
There was nothing I could have done. We were simply not quick enough
today. We'll just have to accept this and concentrate on the next races.
Q: Mika Hakkinen got closer and closer to you in the final laps. Were
the tyres the reason that you lost speed and finally were overtaken?
It seemed you frequently moved across the track to cool your tyres?
MS: No, that was not the reason. It helped a little to keep the distance
to Mika, but in the end it wasn't enough, because Mika was simply much
quicker than me.
Q: What is your view on the overtaking manoeuvre three laps before the
end?
MS: To begin with I was quite happy to see the lapped driver in front
of me. The team had told me that he was there and that this might delay
Mika. But then suddenly all three of us were next to each other and
Mika succeeded with a really unbelievable overtaking move. I really
had not expected it. But, if he hadn't overtaken me here he certainly
would have one or two laps later. I tried my best.
Q: You started on wet tyres, but then the track dried up. Did you set
up your car for wet or dry conditions?
MS: We were actually prepared for a dry race.
Q: Do you still have a chance for the title?
MS: We got six points and kept our championship chances alive. It's
become more difficult perhaps, but this was not the end yet. I trail
Hakkinen by six points now, so nothing is lost yet. We're not giving
up. We'll carry on fighting for our goal.
Q: You had a lively chat with Hakkinen after the race - what was that
about?
MS: I think it is quite a normal thing to do, to have a chat after you've
just had such an exciting race.
Q: Do you think that your tactics were legitimate when Hakkinen tried
to overtake you for the first time? He was barely behind you at more
that 300km/h and you pulled across.
MS: Listen, you journalists sit outside, you can watch the whole thing
on television and analyse it. We sit in the car, with a pretty small
rear mirror. You keep an eye on the driver behind you and you think
you picked the right moment when it's ok. That's how I see this. When
I watch the video later on, maybe I'll assess the situation differently.
Q: Did he say to you that you blocked him?
MS: No, he said that it was very tight. But that's our job. He knows
that he's done this sort of thing as well. That's the really nice thing
about Mika: there are no problems with him because he looks at such
situations rationally, as a professional. Our duels are hard and on
the limit, but fair.
