Post-qualifying press conference - Magny-Cours

Felipe Massa, the Brazilian Scuderia Ferrari driver, will start tomorrow's French Grand Prix on pole position. Championship leader, Lewis Hamilton, will start beside him and Kimi Raikkonen will start from third position at Magny-Cours. After the qualifying session, the drivers answered the questions of the gathered press during the post-qualifying press conference.

Felipe Massa: "Yeah, for sure it's definitely a good weekend for us. We proved already in Silverstone that what happened in the last three races was maybe a little bit the opposite of what we were facing in the last test at Silverstone. We came here, we found a similar car to last week so I think that's really encouraging and it looks like we're back fighting again. For sure it's very close all the time. If you look at the difference on the lap times, it was very close between us three, but it's good to be back fighting, it's good to be here and I'm really happy that we can have a good car tomorrow as well."

FM: "On my first try, I just managed to do quite a good lap, but then I expected to improve a little bit on the second try but then on these tyres, especially on the soft tyres, you drive so much on the limit that if you are just over-driving a little bit, you just lose one tenth, a couple of tenths that you cannot recover again, so the last try is always the one, if you can make everything perfect, you improve a lot of lap time, but if you just try to over-drive a little bit you just make some mistakes."

Lewis Hamilton: "Absolutely. I think you can't be perfect all the time, but the team has done a fantastic job. The car was pretty sweet for the qualifying session. I had the car for pole and I lost a bit of time on turn 15.

I was about a tenth and a half up, so I had it there but it would have been a mega lap. I lost a bit of time but that's the way the game goes but I'm very very happy. We're on the front row and I believe that we have a good strategy for tomorrow, so we will be very strong."

LH: "I braked a little bit late, wanted a little bit more, and if you just try and take a little bit more you run a little bit wide, but still I managed to do a good time. I think I did better my previous time by half a tenth or something like that, so nevertheless it was a good lap but we just have to make sure we improve for next time.

But as I said, it's been, I think, a steady weekend for us. We came into today's qualifying with good pace. I do believe we still have the pace of the Ferraris, at least, so we will see what happens tomorrow."

Kimi Raikkonen: "Yes, it has been a bit of a hard time but that's how it is sometimes and we just try to improve the car all the time. As Felipe said, I think we had a good test, the car feels much better now, it seems to be more competitive. So far it has been a good weekend. Of course, we would rather be in first place but I think it's pretty close and we will see what happens in the race tomorrow."

KR: "I think so. They are never perfect. I lost on one corner in the last try but that's just my fault and there's nothing else to complain about. I think the car is pretty good for the race so third is OK, and as I said, we would rather start in the front this year but anything can happen, it's a long race so we will see what happens tomorrow."

FM: "Hopefully it stays like in the beginning of the year: the guy who starts in the front finishes in the front. That would be great. Hopefully we can have a good race tomorrow. We already heard that maybe the rain will join us, so hopefully we can have a great car for whatever conditions."

Press Conference

FM: "Yeah, it was definitely great for us to be back and fighting. If you look at what's happened in the last races and if you look at the car we had in Silverstone and as I was also saying after the test, and also the car we found here today, I would not say we are completely in front of our competitors but at least we are back and fighting so that's really encouraging and I'm very happy to start again on pole position.

I had a good lap, especially on the first try. On the second try, I just tried to over-drive a little bit and then I lost some small time. Sometimes when you try to be too aggressive, it doesn't work but on the first try, it was the pole lap so it was a good lap."

FM: "Yeah, for sure, a lot. We just have more grip, more consistency and the car is just behaving better due to the modifications we are doing, so it just looks like we have a little bit more downforce and that's the way it is."

FM: "Yeah, in some sessions I was pretty happy with the balance, but I just couldn't put the lap together, let's say this morning and also in Q1. It was just finding some mistakes here and some mistakes there. I couldn't put the lap together but the balance was there, so I was sure that I had the possibilities to be on pole, because this time, even during the qualifying, I was sure that the balance was there. I just needed to put the lap together so fortunately I could manage to put in the right time."

LH: "Yeah."

LH: "No, we didn't end up going a lap more."

LH: "Well, I don't really know what happened, to be honest. I was behind him and I just saw a little bit of smoke at one of the corners, and then he came in. So it's unfortunate for him and for the team, but it's good at least one of us is up there and can fight for some points for the team."

LH: "No, not really, no. I don't focus on anyone else but myself, but for sure, as a team, we always need to push very hard to improve reliability, so this will be a sign for us to push even more."

LH: "Yeah, I feel a slight difference, but obviously I didn't test at Silverstone and so I wasn't there to feel what improvements had been made but every weekend I get in the car it feels slightly better and just a little bit more consistent. But I think we had the pace today. It was cool, I like battling it out and fair play to Felipe, he did a good job. I was only - what was it? - seven hundredths down and so I know I had it there. I made a slight mistake in turn 15 and lost a little bit of time, but that happens. But we will have a good race tomorrow."

KR: "I think so. We had the car but it wasn't a perfect lap. I think the race will be different tomorrow. You never know when the others are stopping so I think we had a good car."

KR: "It feels very similar, but the grip seemed to be very good straight out yesterday, so probably there is more grip than last year at the beginning. The surface was always good here, but otherwise it hasn't really changed."

KR: "It will make it much more complicated for everybody, for sure, more interesting, probably. I don't know. We wait and see what happens tomorrow."

Questions From The Floor

KR: "Yeah, because I didn't finish qualifying."

KR: "Yes, yes I did. It's the same for everybody."

LH: "I don't think so. As I said I think it was a good battle and I was very happy with it. I know I did the best job I could, made a slight mistake, but that doesn't mean I am disappointed in it. I know that tomorrow we have a good strategy and will go into the race just as strong as these guys and we will be pushing to get in front. I couldn't even have imagined even being at the front or on the podium in my first race so every time I do get up in the top three, it is a great feeling."

LH: "In what respect?"

LH: "We knew that already and there was no doubt in our minds that we weren't just competing with each other. We knew that we were competing against the Ferraris and the BMWs and that is why we have been pushing so hard to pull away and everyone makes improvements and steps forward and obviously Ferrari have made a good step forward. I still believe we have the best car and we just have to prove that tomorrow."

FM: "As I said, it was better. There was more grip, more consistent with the scrubbed tyres and we could manage to find the grip with the first lap which was our biggest problem in the last races which was our biggest problem, so I think we had a little bit more downforce, a better set-up and maybe our car works better on this kind of track, so that's it."

FM: "No, it is not true…"

FM: "(to LH) Do you want me to say what you are doing when you go out?"

LH: "No, no! We get on very well and a lot of the drivers here get on very well and we have a lot of respect for each other off the track. But then when you get on the track you are there to do a job and you are there to compete and beat each other and once you know the boundaries and, you know, we've obviously had some close races this year, we know where we are on the circuit, so we have trust. It doesn't make it hard to race each other. In the race, you are enemies, well not enemies, but fierce competitors, and off the track you are good friends."

LH: "To the first one, I don't feel any more pressure, I just feel that I approach every weekend the same. It is great to be in the lead, but obviously there are ten races left and it is way too early to consider winning the championship. We have to keep on pushing to improve the car and to be as consistent as possible and to work on reliability. And secondly, as a rookie, I still believe it is the same. I am still in my first season.

A lot of the other drivers obviously understand that I am still a rookie, but as you go through the season they see that you are doing a good job or you have a close battle with them and they can see you are fair or something like that and they build the respect that they have for you, it grows. But I still think they obviously know I am a rookie, they expect me to make a mistake at some point, but I am here to prove them wrong."

FM: "No, definitely not, you cannot see him as a rookie. No. You never see a guy in the first year leading the championship, so for sure not."

FM: "Yes, especially tomorrow. I will be very happy."

KR: "Like I said, it is not ideal. You would rather be at the front, but I still think you have chances to overtake and this weekend it has been surprisingly easier to follow people than many other races, so let's see what happens tomorrow. It also depends a lot when people are stopping and what they are doing, so we'll see…"

KR: "Yes, the car was better and today I felt we could have had the pole with a perfect lap. Before it has not really been there. But we are gradually getting where we want to be, so it is a good feeling with the car."

LH: "Not a lot, if I am honest. I had plenty of time and I was testing a lot in the dry through pre-season testing and I probably out of the 8,000 or 9,000 kilometres that I did maybe I got a thousand in the rain, or 500, I am not sure exactly how much. But I definitely got some time in the car, so I have no worries about it."

LH: "No, no. Our engine's pretty sweet and… it was just that there was no need to go out and push too many laps and we went out half way through the session just to find out which tyre we wanted to use for the race, the option or the prime. Yesterday, we didn't really get a good read, because we got stuck in traffic and didn't have many clear laps. Today it was important that we got out and had a really good understanding."

FM: "Well, in a way you do need to think like that, just to try to be stronger all the time, but what happens in the past is that it hurts you a little bit especially when you have a very long championship with so many races, it can be very important the points that you make in this race and if you can't do that and make so many points in this race then maybe you can have a problem to be at the front.

But we saw in the past that some people have been able to recover their lost points, so I hope we can recover and have a good car all the time to be in the front or at least fighting, so that's our main goal."

LH: "It is always important to get a win. And not just to continue with the success that we have had this year, but also obviously to score as many points as you can, whether that is ten, eight or six, or whatever, it is extremely important that we continue to score points, not only for the drivers championship, but also the teams' and so that is what we and Fernando will be doing, pushing as much as we can.

We have to see how the race goes. Me, Felipe and also Kimi, we all know where we are on the circuit and we will push as hard as we can to get up front. We will just have to see how it goes."