Monaco GP - Wednesday press conference - Pt.2

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Frederic Ferret- L'Equipe)
Question for Pastor. How difficult has it been to deal with the fire and how difficult has it been to prepare for this grand prix for you and the team?

Pastor Maldonado:
After the fire we've been working so hard to rebuild everything. The guys did a pretty good job because we are ready to race, with everything we need to get the maximum. And I need to say that the guys have been working full days to have everything ready for this race, so great job for them.
Q: (Alex Popov - RTR TV)
Question for all the drivers. Do you realistically think that on Sunday it will really be six different drivers, and to all except Pastor, do you think you will be the sixth?

Mark Webber:
Yeah, I think there can be six different winners. Of course, why not? And it would be nice if it's me, yeah. I'm sure all of us are going to say that.

Q:
I want everyone except Pastor to rate his personal chance to be this sixth driver - if it's realistic or not.

Michael Schumacher:
I'm pretty sure that are quite a few around us that would have the capacity to win this race and yet have not won a race and yes, naturally I think each of us here would be happy to be the one.

Lewis Hamilton:
I agree with Michael. As he was saying there are some other drivers who have the potential to win races but it's massively tight between quite a lot of teams, so I think it's wide open, so we'll see. Particularly at this race the driver can make more of a difference. A car that doesn't work so well at places like Barcelona could work a bit better here so...

Q:
Romain, how do you rate your own personal chances of becoming the sixth driver?

Romain Grosjean:
Difficult to say at the moment as we didn't drive on the track yet, but I wish I could be the sixth one.

Q:
Charles?

Charles Pic:
I agree it's more tight this year but we are not yet in a position to fight for this. For us now we have to focus on improving step by step and that's it for the moment.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association)
Pastor, you mentioned that the team has been working flat out to compensate for the fire. Obviously a lot of teams came to Williams's aid with regards to equipment, infrastructure etc, but just how much of an impact will the fire have on the team this weekend, given the loss of all the equipment?

Pastor Maldonado:
Yeah, for sure it was a frustrating moment for all of us, because we were in the garage at that moment, at that time, and we saw everything. Personally, I was so scared, especially because we were all together, talking with Frank at that time and then yes, I need to thank all the teams who helped us, especially to extinguish the fire. For sure, as I mentioned before, the team has been working flat out to have everything ready for this race. The time wasn't all that big, you know, only one week, one and a half weeks to have everything ready was quite short and yes, I need to thank all the teams who have helped us, even offering extra stuff for this race.
Q: (Pierre van Vliet - F1i.com)
Lewis, I understand that you moved to Monaco recently. How different is it to have a race at home, really close to your home? Maybe Michael can answer this as well, because he used to live here, and Pastor as well.

Lewis Hamilton:
I love it here. To be able to wake up in your own bed and drive just down the road and be at work is a fantastic feeling. Today is the first experience of that but I'm sure it will make quite a big difference. I loved where I lived before but this is a different place and I seem to be enjoying it a little bit more.

Michael Schumacher:
Basically, not only do you feel at home, and as Lewis said, absolutely, but even seeing the build-up of the track, because when you live here you go through the roads and you see it building up, the whole story builds up in your own head and when it finally comes to the excitement to run it, then it's obviously even more special.

Pastor Maldonado:
I agree with Michael and Lewis. For sure it's really good to be here and to race at the same time. I can sleep a little bit more as well, so it's good.
Q: (Marco degli Innocenti - La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Michael, in a German newspaper today, Ross Brawn said that the team, Mercedes, is guilty of having put you in trouble - I don't know if I've translated it right from German into English - but I think the meaning is that they did not help you too much with the car, to give you a sufficiently good car. Do you agree with him, do you agree there is something or not?

Michael Schumacher:
No. I don't agree with maybe your translation of it, because I think we have quite a good car, quite honestly, because if you think where we're coming from last year, we have made a huge step forward. We have proven that we are able to win races. Yes indeed, I have been a bit on the unlucky side but you see we're a team, we are one big family and we win together and we lose together, it's part of it. It's probably that that he wants to talk about. But no, I don't feel at all disappointed - if anything, the reverse: more motivated because of how much progress we have made and I can see the future progress that we can make and that's what is much more in my focus.
Q: (Alexandar Tabakovski - Vecer)
Michael, first of all, I saw you in Le Mans last week for the MotoGP race and you witnessed that Casey Stoner announced that he was retiring from the sport, stating that he was not content with the rules in MotoGP and in the motorcycling world, how the sport has developed. Can you tell me your feelings about that move and draw a parallel with your feelings about how Formula One is evolving in the situation whereby you are not liking it too much?
MS: The first part I can certainly answer, as to what is my feeling, and my feeling is that most of those who have a little bit of involvement were surprised. So was I but then you have to respect that and I don't know his reasons or his detailed reason but he's young enough to have a sabbatical rather than a total stop and we'll see. There's definitely no parallel to me; it's just that each one is very individual, why and for what reason he decides on his retirement. Mine, at the time, had nothing to do with any other reason than I wanted it to because I felt like I was tired, three years ago. That's it.
Q: (Cedric Voisard - Le Figaro)
Lewis and Mark - because Michael expressed himself about it - Mark, you said that the public did enjoy the first five races. Lewis, you said, regarding the rules and the tyre situation, we are facing the same challenge, but, apart from that, do you enjoy driving within those rules? Can you extract one hundred percent of the car and can you express your talents 100 percent?

Mark Webber:
The way the races have run in the last few years is different to previous years. In the era where we had pit stops with refuelling, the races were extremely aggressive. Obviously qualifying for the whole race, basically, pushing to make optimum strategies work and make sure that you're hitting the lap times with the weight of the car, with the fuel that you have at the time, so whether you are on a two- or three-stop strategy or whatever. And then we went to no refuelling, so already the phase of the racing changed a little bit, in terms of a little bit of endurance aspect started to come into it, in terms of driving style and pacing yourself a little bit more, probably. And then we had the change with the Pirellis and that's probably been the biggest change in driver technique and style that I can remember, certainly in my career and I've done a few Grands Prix. There are certain races - a huge majority of races - that of course even when you've won - I've won one race on Pirellis - but even when the winners are winning of course they are not driving at 100 percent and that's just the way it is, because you can't. You need to get the car to the end and produce the best lap times that you can for the duration of the race. That's the way it is now. I still enjoy driving a Formula One car, I still love working with the engineers, driving the most amazing tracks against some great opposition. I enjoy that part of it but we always have to change, we always have to evolve as the technical side of the sport changes, and there's always going to be nicer ways to... Personally, I enjoyed the sprint races and the refuelling, probably all of the drivers did, but the racing was not super-exciting. It was more precise, you had to be more precise, you had to be more on the limit and really really feeling the car for the whole two hours, but that's not how it is now. We have a different set of challenges and that's what we've got to do.

Lewis Hamilton:
I don't really know what else I can say, really. Mark's said it all. I really enjoy the racing that we have now, as I've enjoyed it every year, and every year is a new challenge and I think that's what the rules are there to give us is challenges. It is a little bit different, where we're not pushing 100 percent in the race. There are some points in the race where you can really push but not for very long and perhaps it is more about endurance, as Mark said, to try and make these tyres last, but it is still a challenge to extract the most out of the tyres for a longer period. It still requires skill and technique and finesse to do that stuff so we're still all trying to - speaking for myself - I'm still trying to get that fine touch sorted. But nonetheless, it's still Formula One, it's still fun and there's more overtaking which is what people like to see.
Q: (Ignacio Naya - DPA)
Two questions for Pastor: how does it feel, your new life as a Grand Prix winner? Have you experienced changes in the last two weeks? Do you attract more attention? And secondly, you won here in GP2; do you feel that this track adapts to you, do you dream of doing it again tomorrow in Formula One?

Pastor Maldonado:
OK, regarding the victory, it doesn't change a thing. I think we need to keep working like that, keep pushing. As I mentioned before, we are not in the best position now against the other teams. We still need to keep improving. We have a lot of work to do. The car is getting more and more competitive every time, me as well. The feeling is really good. The atmosphere in the team is getting higher and higher, especially after the victory and now we need to continue like that, to push and push. And yes, Monaco is a special track for me, it's my favourite one. I've always been very quick here. For sure I will do my best this weekend to get the maximum again. We will be competitive, I'm sure of that, but we will see. This is a typical track. You must put everything together to make the difference and I will try, together with the team, to do our best and then we will see.
Q: (Bob McKenzie - Daily Express)
Michael it's not been the greatest start to the season, but I wonder if you've already cast your mind forward, if you've decided whether you might race next year, if you're thinking about it, if you've got the motivation or the energy and despite the seven titles, do you still need to sell yourself to Mercedes or is it only your decision as to whether or not you will drive again next year?

Michael Schumacher:
No, the decision hasn't really changed. So far we're not focusing on what happens next year or in the future. It's more about what happens right now and the team and myself will get together, so there's no news for you yet, unfortunately. I don't really want to get involved in deep discussion other than what I just said, so let's leave it at that.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association)
Lewis, you mentioned about being happier here in Monaco than you were in Switzerland. Can you give us the reasons why that is, what the differences between the two places are, and secondly, waking up in your own bed this weekend and being happier here, does that make a difference going into the race weekend itself? Could that boost your performance in any way?

Lewis Hamilton:
When I lived in Switzerland, it was one of the most beautiful countries I'd ever been to. The weather was a little bit like England but more often it was better weather, but just where I was living, I was living away from the city and it was very quiet. It took ages to go out to a restaurant. I couldn't jog down to a restaurant or walk to a restaurant. Here, it's sunny every day which makes a big difference, there are great restaurants a couple of minutes from where I live, there's a gym where I live, there's a pool where I live. Before I used to have to drive half an hour to get to the gym, so things were just less fun there. I'm still in my twenties so I feel like I need to make sure I continue to enjoy them more and since I've been here, I've been much happier. Every day I go running on the track, I run round the track almost every day and it's incredible to run around your favourite circuit every day. I go through the tunnel and I just cannot believe that I'm here. You have to pinch yourself every day, thinking wow, I'm running through the tunnel that the greats like Michael and Ayrton used to race around and now I'm one of those drivers but also living here. There's a lot to it, but it's spectacular. And for the race weekend? I don't know if it's going to make any difference, but it definitely won't harm the weekend, being able to be comfortable in your own environment and surely that can account for something.