Michael: "Eddie Was No. 2 Because He Was Slower!"
Madonna di Campiglio, 17.1.00
At the "Vroom F1 Press Meeting," the traditional annual press get- together held for the past ten years at Madonna di Campiglio, Michael Schumacher talked about the previous season, marked by his accident at Silverstone. "There was confusion and tension, but then everything was clear. There are no problems for me and I also want to underline the fact that the way Ferrari looked after me was extraordinary and incredible. It brought me even closer to the team."
Schumacher also spoke of his relationship with his new team-mate, Rubens Barrichello and of his former team-mate Eddie Irvine. "It has never been written in a contract that I should have a Number 2 driver. The second driver is always the slowest one. Irvine said he was the second driver because he was not as quick as me. I am sorry, but I could not slow down to let him be Number One! Rubens and I can be friends. We have more in common and can have a better social relationship. Ferrari has made a good choice.
If I am slower than him, it will be up to me to help him and if he is slower than me then it will be the other way round."
As for the season which starts in Australia on 12th March, Schumacher had this to say. "I can only ask the fans to remain patient and I will try and prove that I can win the drivers' championship as well as the constructors'. In December, I saw the model of the new car and I was already impressed by its shape. On top of that, figures we are seeing from the engine are encouraging."
Jean Todt confirmed the change in the team's organisation which includes the strengthening of the press department. Michael Schumacher's race engineer for the last four years, Ignazio Lunetta, has been promoted to the technical co-ordinator of the race engineers, so Eddie Irvine's former engineer Luca Baldiserri will now work with Schumacher. Paoli Cantoni comes in to work with Rubens Barrichello.
Various events in front of the journalists included a 20 lap kart 'demonstration' but with the three Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers on track, plus former Ferrari men Rene Arnoux, Gianni Morbidelli and Nicola Larini, it's no surprise that it developed into a race. In the end, the three current Ferrari drivers crossed the line together - although Michael Schumacher was a lap down. The Tic-Tac trophy for fastest lap went to Rubens Barrichello - a portent of things to come? Who knows!
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