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#680 2001 Japanese Grand Prix

2021-03-28 00:00

Osservatore Sportivo

#2001, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Monica Bessi, Davide Scotto di Vetta, Translated by Ylenia Lucia Salerno,

#680 2001 Japanese Grand Prix

On Tuesday 2 October 2001, Luca Badoer is starting the final testing session of the season. The Ferrari test driver uses two specifications of the F20

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On Tuesday, October 2, 2001, Luca Badoer is starting the final testing session of the season. The Ferrari test driver uses two specifications of the F2001 car at Fiorano. He completes a total of 120 laps, including three start simulations. His best lap is a 59"312. Michael Schumacher joins the action on the following day. There are speculations that Michael wants to retire. The current world champion has to deny rumours regarding his imminent retirement. Mika Hakkinen is asked to talk about Michael during an interview with the Auto Motor und Sport magazine:

 

"I see certain signs that lead me to doubt whether he will continue driving for a long time. He has been racing for a long time. He has children. He has had his success. He has had his accidents. And after every accident you start doing more thinking. You know at some point you will not get away without damage. It does not matter how much you love the sport - Michael too will ask himself sooner or later: how long is this going to go on for? I find it difficult to judge whether he has the same reasons for a certain fatigue as I have. Did he have to struggle to get his own way like I did, and did the full support of his team make his life easier? Did he have so much public relations work to do?"

 

The Flying Finn will leave Formula 1 at the end of the season to enjoy a sabbatical year:

 

"I had to push myself to the mental and physical limit. My whole life was geared to one objective. How I sleep, how I eat, how I train, what I say. My aim is to take it easy, and then see how I deal with that".

 

Unlike Mika, Michael is not hanging up the helmet: 

 

"I am looking to the future and I will continue racing in Formula One because it still gives me great pleasure. There are too many people mouthing off about me and about that famous tiredness. I have spoken clearly, unequivocally about it. Yet every so often there's someone who wakes up and decides to turn his thoughts to me. If anyone, whoever he is, speaks about me and my feelings, he cannot in any case say what I feel or plan to do. Please don't bother me about it".

 

The world champion carries out a tyre test at Fiorano. He completes 64 laps and four start simulations. He sets a 59"144 as his fastest time. Badoer instead does 31 laps and his best time is a 59"949. The Japanese Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, October 14, 2001, at Suzuka. It will also be the last race for Alesi. Jean will in fact retire from Formula 1 at the end of the year:

 

"I retire. I will not race in Formula 1 next year. For the moment, it is not completely clear also what I am going to do. For sure I will not drive in Formula 1 anymore. I'm talking seriously with Eddie Jordan. We have some plans together. It's time to stop. Even if it's what I love most in my life, you need to give the place to the young drivers. I'm glad Honda is happy to have the Japanese Formula Three champion driving for them next year".

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Alesi reckons that it is the right time to leave the sport: 

 

"When you love something, you never think about stopping and we have to be realistic. There is a start, there is an end. Sunday night is going to be the end of my Formula One life as a driver, as a fighter. I have so many things to say. It's very difficult to explain everything in such a short time. In one sentence, I would like to say that I have loved everything, the people who I work with on the good and bad moments, because it cannot be flat. That's why life is interesting. Driving was exciting as well. I've been very sad and I'm still thinking about the drivers we lost, Ratzenberger and Senna in Imola in 1994 but the rest was always very exciting. Formula 1 is obviously changing slowly and you need to accept it, especially when you love the sport. After 200 races, it's not difficult to understand how our sport changes and I understand it is time for me to stop. In this business you can't wait until the moment you can't drive anymore because you really look ridiculous. I will enjoy my race from Friday to Sunday. I will try to drive in the last race as I was driving in 1989".

 

Jordan wanted to give Alesi a testing role for the 2002 season, but he refused the offer. The retirement news of the former Ferrari driver is not a big surprise. The drivers' line-up for the 2002 season was already announced on Wednesday. Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato will drive for Jordan. The Japanese rookie is a Honda driver. Honda already supplies the engine to Jordan. The Japanese team will have an even bigger impact on the management of the team from next year onwards. The results did not live up to the expectations of a car manufacturer who lived an immense success in Formula 1 with Senna and Prost. Alesi debuted in Formula 1 in 1989 with Tyrrell. The French driver stayed with the English team for two years, making himself appreciated for his driving skills. He is also widely known for his decisive and spontaneous character. He is a son of immigrants. His Sicilian father emigrated to Avignon, where he made a fortune. He now manages a repair car shop. Alesi's dream was to drive for Ferrari. The French driver was able to achieve this dream in 1990. Ferrari and the Prost-Mansell line-up had a grotesque season that year. Alesi was driving alongside Alain Prost at the start of his Ferrari stint. Alain was one of the biggest idols in France. Prost was booted out of the Maranello team in 1991. Alain lined up with Ivan Capelli and then with Gerhard Berger. The tifosi loved Alesi and Berger. To this day, many Italians fondly remember that drivers' line-up. Those were not happy days for Ferrari. The Maranello team found the light at the end of the tunnel in the mid 90s, which was much later than what Montezemolo had anticipated. The latter became president in 1991. Alesi won the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix. That result was also a kind of straw that broke the camel's back. He was in fact convinced that Jean Todt favoured Berger. At the end of the season, Alesi told the French manager to fuck off in front of microphones and cameras. He and Berger then decided to drive for Benetton, whilst Schumacher and a substantial team of engineers and technicians joined Ferrari. This was the start of Ferrari's revival. Jean probably came to Maranello in the wrong period of time. The Benetton stint was a disaster for Alesi. The English team was in fact going through a downward spiral in terms of competitiveness. He also drove for Sauber, Prost and Jordan. Fernando Alonso had an anonymous first season in Formula 1 at the wheel of an uncompetitive Minardi car. He is nonetheless hired as Renault test driver and hopes to get promoted to the role of main driver for the 2003 season. Sauber instead signs Felipe Massa, who will replace Kimi Räikkönen in 2002:

 

"I hope we can have the same results with him as with Kimi. It's a risk, a calculated one. The risk is bigger this time around".

 

The Ferrari team has already wrapped up the two titles. Some teams bring some experimental upgrades at Suzuka, which will be used in next year's cars. Ferrari tests a new titanium gearbox at Fiorano. Minardi has a new gearbox, which allows for lighter, stiffer and faster gear changes. The Maranello-based team brings a new-spec chassis at Suzuka, which will be given to Michael Schumacher. It is 5 kg lighter in weight compared to the old chassis. 

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Williams once again uses the high exhaust, whilst McLaren does not introduce any particular upgrades. Honda will supply a new qualifying engine to Jordan and BAR at their home race. The final Formula 1 weekend starts on Friday, October 12, 2001. Michael Schumacher dominates the FP1 session, whirling around the Suzuka track in 1'37"443. He is three tenths faster than Mika Hakkinen. Montoya is 3rd ahead of Barrichello and Alesi. The veteran Jordan driver makes an impression in FP2. He is the fastest driver at the end of the session, setting a blistering 1'35"454 lap time: 

 

"For sure it is going to be the fastest weekend in my life. I really love motor racing; I need it and I want to stop in the best way. I enjoyed it today because I am retiring. For that reason, it is very important to use all these sessions to enjoy my racing life. I really love motor racing. I need it and I have to stop - but I want to stop in the best way I can".

 

Juan Pablo Montoya is 2nd with a 1'35"977. The two Ferrari drivers struggle in FP2. Michael Schumacher sets a 1'36"727 in FP2, which is the 8th fastest time. Rubens Barrichello is only 10th fastest at the end of the session after setting a 1'36"994 lap time. Schumacher is not worried about the FP2 result:

 

"I think that most teams did run with less fuel, which is something that a team like Ferrari never does on a Friday. If Alesi did that blistering time with a normal fuel load, then someone will soon start to think that the Jordan team made a big mistake in pushing him into retirement".

 

The reigning world champion is convinced that Sunday will feature a very interesting competition between Bridgestone and Michelin:

 

"I was surprised by Montoya's time today. I suspect that the enormous gap between him and my brother Ralf is not a second. The competition between Bridgestone and the other brand of tyre seems very close, so it will be interesting to see who is on top tomorrow afternoon".

 

You really like the Suzuka track:

 

"I like this circuit very much as it has several really good corners. The changes which have been made to some parts of the track seem good as we now have more run-off area in some sections. The combination of high and slow-speed corners is a challenge for us drivers. On Sunday, it will be really fun to drive, without having the nightmare of scoring a good result at all costs. It will be a pleasure".

 

Schumacher states that it has been one of the best seasons of his racing career, excluding the terrorist attacks in the United States:

 

"There is no doubt this was my best year. Everything was right there. Apart from two failures at Imola and Hockenheim, the reliability was good and I had a great time. We had a car that was competitive in all the different types of circuits, with the exception of Hockenheim. We weren't that dominant either, except in the first two races. We had to fight very hard for it and that made me enjoy the season even more. It was satisfying, too, to secure the title so early. I've never done it so quickly, and that means we can look forward to an even stronger Ferrari period in the future".

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He is also convinced that the new generation of drivers is taking over Formula 1, starting from Räikkönen and Heidfeld:

 

"I am looking to the future. I will continue racing in Formula One because it still gives me great pleasure. I, at 32, do not feel old at all. Let's say that I am in the middle generation. Prost, Mansell and Berger raced until 40. I thus have eight years left. I am not thinking about retirement at the moment".

 

Nick Heidfeld has a serious incident on Friday. The German driver is unharmed, even if the C20 car is sliced in half. The two Schumacher brothers stamp their authority in FP3 and FP4. It is now time for qualifying. Michael Schumacher sets a 1'32"484 after three qualifying runs. No one is able to match that lap time. The other drivers are trying to improve on Michael's lap time. In the meantime, the Ferrari mechanics are already packing the car tools. Michael Schumacher grabs pole position in dominant fashion. He will start ahead of everyone for the 11th time. It is also his 40th pole position. The two Williams drivers are almost a second slower than Schumacher. Montoya is 2nd fastest with a 1'33"184 and will start alongside the Ferrari driver. Ralf Schumacher is 3rd with a 1'33"297, ahead of Rubens Barrichello (1'33"323). David Coulthard is only 7th fastest with a 1'33"916. Rubens needs a victory in order to secure 2nd position in the drivers' standings. The third row of the grid is occupied by Hakkinen (1'33"662) and Giancarlo Fisichella (1'33"830). At the end of the session, Schumacher declares:

 

"It was the perfect lap, certainly. To be so far in front of the next car means you are maximising your opportunities. I am surprised by the size of the margin, I must admit. I am happy to see that we beat the predictions for our best lap time. Rubens' situation is more important. It feels pretty nice to drive the car, the speed through the Esses is a big challenge but Bridgestone have produced a great tyre. I used the new chassis, although I cannot say if this contributed to my lap times. The purpose of the new chassis is to improve for next year rather than to be quick over one lap".

 

The reigning champion is adamant that the race will not be easy:

 

"This is one of the toughest circuits and to do the speeds we do around here for a whole race will be very difficult".

 

Will you help Rubens during the race?

 

"If I can help Rubens to come second in the championship then that is my job. It is more important than the points. It is pretty obvious that our aim is to get Rubens second in the championship".

 

There is a pleasant behind-the-scenes off-track moment. Schumacher and Montoya clear the air after months of mutual impatience. The German driver did not like the close fights between himself and Montoya. Michael once again dominated the qualifying session. Jean Todt does not have too much trouble in talking about a memorable season: 

 

"The results speak for themselves: eleven poles in the year are a record for Ferrari and for Michael Schumacher. Rubens' fourth place is further confirmation of our car's worth and of the Bridgestone tyres on a track which is very demanding to drive. Tomorrow is the last race of the season. We will do all we can to win it. We are aware that it will be very tough, given the strength of our opponents. Once again, our team has shown it has the determination and motivation which has led us to the world championship titles. The 2001 car was exceptional".

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At the point where it seems difficult to build an even better car: 

 

"There are margins to build an improved car. The performance can be enhanced and we exactly know how. We already tested a lighter chassis here. The gearbox and the engine will also be lighter. For months, we have been working in the wind tunnel and the test-bench to have a good car. On paper, we are already making progress".

 

Hakkinen says that McLaren is very far behind with the 2002 car, arguing that there is very much work to do and very little time. Will Williams be Ferrari's main rival for the 2002 season?

 

"We will only know in Australia. How can I make predictions if I do know each rival's chassis, engine and tyres? The tyres are decisive. Williams has Michelin but what about McLaren? It is a very good group of people, never underestimate them".

 

Ferrari has Schumacher:

 

"He is a driver that speaks with his heart and becomes stronger each passing year. He needs a great car, as all drivers do, but there is no doubt that he is a champion. His qualifying session was exceptional, there was no need to judge him. I should have not waited until Monza, when he spoke with all drivers on the grid, to understand his personality. Ageing is good for him: he never makes a mistake now".

 

Is it only a joke that he will race until the age of 40?

 

"He has the physical and mental means to do this. If he stays motivated like he is now, I am ready to bet on this. The contract can always be lengthened. We wanted to consolidate this group for yet another three years, by renewing Michael and Rubens. Brawn, Byrne and I also extended our contract for this purpose. It is a deadline, not a terminus".

 

Which drivers impressed you the most?

 

"Ralf, sometimes Montoya, Heidfeld, Trulli, Fisichella and of course my drivers".

 

There are talks that Massa will take Rubens Barrichello's place in 2003:

 

"In the same way that we should have replaced him with Räikkönen... We are happy like this. Sauber did a great job with our engines; it was the surprise of the season. Most teams cry for the sponsors that cut the budgets due to the war. No one abandons us because we win. Why should we change?"

 

Barrichello will start the race from 4th position:

 

"I gave it my best shot. Just as happened in Indianapolis, I was unable to dial out all the understeer and that prevented me from going any quicker. However, this is less of a problem on worn tyres. I am pretty confident for tomorrow's race. Under these conditions the balance of the car is much better. I expect to be competitive tomorrow, even if there are fewer passing opportunities here than in Indianapolis".

 

Mika, this is your last race in Formula 1. Your goal is to bid farewell with a victory:

 

"In the hope that there will not be a Schumacher to bother me".

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On Sunday, October 14, 2001, the final race of the 2001 season is almost underway. At lights out, Michael Schumacher cuts to the right to defend against Montoya. The Colombian does the same with his teammate. Giancarlo Fisichella uses the Benetton traction control to overtake Hakkinen and get alongside Barrichello. The Brazilian shrugs off the attention from the Italian and sets his sight on Ralf Schumacher. Rubens is running a light fuel load and is able to springboard past Ralf Schumacher for 3rd place at 130R. Soon after, he is right behind Montoya's Williams. The Brazilian brakes as late as he dares into the final chicane, but Montoya powers down the inside of Barrichello at turn 1. Michael Schumacher has an 8-second lead over Montoya, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Fisichella and Hakkinen. Coulthard and Trulli are just outside the top-scoring positions. Fisichella gets out of shape at the exit of turn 8 and loses the rear of the Benetton car. He suffers a half spin but is luckily able to continue, even if he loses a couple of positions. On lap 5, Kimi Räikkönen suffers a suspension failure at the Dunlop curve. Jean Alesi collects the Finn from behind. The rookie and the veteran escape after the ugly incident. Alesi bows out of Formula 1 after a long-standing career. Barrichello enters the pitlane at the start of the 15th lap. He is on a three-stop strategy. The other drivers instead opt for a two-stop race. The Brazilian re-joins the track in 8th position, just behind Trulli and Fisichella. Schumacher pits at the end of the 17th lap. The pit stop lasts 8.8 seconds. He exits in a McLaren sandwich, Hakkinen and Coulthard. Michael temporarily hands the lead to Montoya. The Colombian is setting a series of quick lap times, while Schumacher is fighting with Hakkinen for 3rd place. The Flying Finn defends the position with a knife between its teeth and is keeping Michael behind. This is the last duel between the two historic rivals. The Williams mechanics get ready to service Montoya on lap 21. The pit stop lasts 8.8 seconds. The Colombian re-joins behind Coulthard in 5th position. Ralf Schumacher makes the first pit stop on the 23rd lap. The German is now running 5th, behind Barrichello. Hakkinen is the fourth different race leader but it does not last long. 

 

Hakkinen makes his fist pit stop at the end of the 14th lap. Michael re-takes the leadership of the race. Ralf is sentenced with a 10 seconds Stop&Go penalty on lap 28, for repeatedly cutting the final chicane. The German serves the penalty while Barrichello makes the second pit stop. The pit stop lasts 12.6 seconds. At the exit of the pitlane, Ralf nails Barrichello for 5th position. Looking at the replay, the Brazilian had a momentary glitch with the pitlane limiter. Ralf crossed the white line during the overtake, which is not allowed by the regulations. This move is under investigation. The stewards decide to not penalise Ralf. During the 32nd lap, Barrichello tries to overtake the Williams driver at the final chicane. The two are side by side but Ralf cuts across the final chicane. The German lets Rubens through at turn 1, in order to avoid any further investigations by the stewards. At the end of the 38th lap, the top drivers have all made their second pit stop. There are no major changes in the race classification. The German ace has enough of a gap to lift off the gas in the final stages of the race. Montoya has a sudden resurgence and is closing the gap to Michael. At the start of the 53rd lap, the gap between the top 2 is around 3 seconds. The Colombian is attempting in vain to win the race. Coulthard overtakes Hakkinen at the start/finish straight. Hakkinen is playing the team game in this instance. Michael wins the Japanese Grand Prix for the second time in a row. He signs off the season in great style. This is his fourth win in Japan and his 53rd career one. He reaches a total of 801 points, beating Prost's record tally of 798.5. Schumacher beat Alain's record of 51 wins at the Belgian Grand Prix. Montoya crosses the line in 2nd position. David Coulthard is on the final step of the podium. Mika says goodbye to Formula 1 with a 4th place finish. Barrichello is 5th. The Brazilian's strategy did not work at all. A disgruntled Ralf Schumacher crosses the line in 6th position. Coulthard secures 2nd place in the drivers' championship with 65 points. He beats Barrichello, who finishes the season with no wins to his name. It is a little bit jarring in comparison to Schumacher's 9 wins and 123 points in total. 

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The Brazilian did an outstanding work as a n.2 driver but it is only a meagre consolation. Ferrari dominates the constructors’ championship with 179 points. McLaren is 2nd with 102, while Williams secures 3rd position. Sauber is in 4th position with 21 points. The Swiss team beats the Jordan team. BAR is 6th in the constructors’ standings, despite finishing on the podium twice with Jacques Villeneuve. Benetton concludes the final Formula 1 season in 7th position. According to Flavio Briatore, this season was a transitional year. The team will now be managed by Renault. The Jaguar team is 8th in the standings. This is the end of the road for the Prost team. It was a troubled season for the French squad due to the multiple drivers' changes. The French team finishes 9th in the constructors' championship with 4 points. Arrows scored a point in Austria, which is the reason why they are 10th in the standings. The only team to not score points is Minardi. It is the aftermath of the race, which means it is time to emotionally say goodbye to Hakkinen and Alesi. Barrichello is disappointed and sad for the final result, since he was unable to overtake Coulthard in the drivers’ standings: 

 

"In order to win, we had to try something special, like going for a three-stop strategy. Unfortunately, this did not pay off. The Williams were very quick down the straight and I could not stay ahead of Montoya when I was running my best set of tyres. Then I lost more time during my final stop, when the engine cut out. That meant I was no longer in with a chance of even getting on the podium".

 

The Brazilian is angry with Ralf Schumacher. He does not like how the German mocked him in the pits and then forced him to do somersaults during an overtake:

 

"It is much nicer to fight against Montoya than Ralf. I think Ralf went a bit over the top in our fight together. The Colombian is honest and fair whilst Ralf is not. Then I lost more time during my final stop, when the engine cut out. I was then faster than Ralf, he should have let me go. I was already ahead of him by the time he turned in. By the time that he saw he couldn't turn, he came off the brakes and went straight. And that is where I thought it was a bit unfair. In the end, I finished 5th, which is not the greatest thing in the world".

 

Ralf, do you agree with Barrichello's accusations?

 

"After the first pit stop it seemed the speed limiter on Rubens' Ferrari got stuck so this is why I had to swerve at the end of the pit lane to avoid hitting him. Regarding our battle, I behaved in a sporting manner, in the spirit of this sport. It was hard but fair. For me, those are normal racing sparks. I do not know what Barrichello wants from me".

 

David, Mika decided to let you through in the final stages of the race. Can you explain the Finn's gesture?

 

"He's a very quiet chap, so he doesn't give much away. I don't know, maybe he was stuck in fifth gear, I'm not sure. He was pretty much about five seconds ahead for most of the race. It fluctuated a little bit with traffic and pit stops. All of a sudden, he slowed down a lot towards the end. If it was to give me a podium, then obviously I will thank him. I think it was probably to avoid having to come and deal with interviews afterwards. He's done a lot this weekend. I will thank him later. I need to thank him for helping me throughout my career".

 

Mika's first victory was at the 1997 Jerez Grand Prix. Coulthard played the team game in the final stages of the race. 

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The Flying Finn fondly remembers the 1998 Melbourne and Hockenheim races, which were gifted by Coulthard. Mika is a driver that does not forget. The Flying Finn granted Coulthard a podium as his thank you note. Mika will never forget the battles with Schumacher. 

 

"He is the greatest driver of his generation; I had the misfortunes of finding him ahead of me for so many years. Without him, I would have won more races and championships. It was fun to battle with him. It has always been clean racing with him. That has always been my style anyway, I have always been trying to race a very clean race, and Michael has been exactly the same". 

 

The winning momentum never seems to hit Barrichello. The Brazilian driver should have won the Japanese race in order to have any chance of finishing 2nd in the drivers’ championship. On the other hand, Coulthard should have finished 5th or below. Schumacher would have helped if the race turned out differently for Rubens. The Brazilian does not have any regrets:

 

"Let's put it this way. Even if I had not won in Indianapolis, which I think I could have, if I had finished second there, I would have been level with David. And then today I would start normally on the safe side to finish in front of him. And on two-stops I would have finished in front of him, no problem. But the fact is that I had to win the race to finish in front. As Ross put it to me, are we here to fight, are we here to win, or are we here just to see who's going to drop off in front of me? No. Then I lost more time during my final stop, when the engine cut out. That meant I was no longer in with a chance of even getting on the podium".

 

Michael, what was the strategy with Rubens? 

 

"Obviously, given the situation that Rubens was in, I couldn't be of any help. First of all, the plan was that he gets by the two Williams. Then once he's by them, then obviously I would have let him by and let him do his race. That was the plan. As he couldn't get by, then there was no point in sacrificing my own race. I think that was quite right". 

 

Barrichello closes the championship with a total of 56 points. He scored 62 points in 2000. He is also the only one, out of the top 6 drivers, to not have scored either a single victory, pole position nor fastest time. An insatiable Schumacher closes the 2001 championship in dominating fashion, surpassing Prost's record of 53 wins. The Ferrari champion wants to beat another record: Senna's 65 pole positions. He previously said that he wants to race until the age of 40. Michael, how will you celebrate this victory?

 

"With a cigar and a nice glass of wine. It is marvellous to finish the season exactly the way I wanted. The Suzuka result is a dignifying end of a perfect and fantastic season in all respects. We won nine races and I was already the world champion as early as mid-August, our rivals often had to give up. Dominating is a term that I do not like. As for the season as a whole, we were dominant for the first two races in Australia and Malaysia. If the entire championship had played out that way, I would have then spoken about domination. After that, it was very tight and we had to fight hard. A season like this one is pretty tiring and stressful".

 

You are the first Formula 1 driver to score a total of 123 points. Coulthard finished 58 points behind: 

 

"We were lucky to win the championship early because of some misfortune for David. He had some mechanical problems. It is true that I had a superlative car. Out of 17 races, I only had technical issues in Imola and Hockenheim. However, we weren't dominant. Even now, if you look, it was a fight in the end. I am happy the season is over, even if it was, without a doubt, the best of my career".

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It seems like Montoya is a threat for the future: 

 

"I will never underestimate Williams/McLaren and their drivers. At the start of the season, I thought that I would fight with Hakkinen. Instead, my rival was Coulthard. How can you say that the threat for the championship will be Montoya? What about my brother Ralf?"

 

You fought with Mika halfway through the race:

 

"It was a nice battle. I enjoyed myself like old times. I am sorry that he is retiring, he will be missed".

 

Alesi is also retiring from Formula 1:

 

"Obviously most of us are going to be very sad. He's a great racer, he's a friend of mine. It will be quite sad because I think he still has the speed. If you look around Formula 1, there are probably other drivers who should have retired earlier than him. I tried all weekend to convince him to stay. Jean, reconsider your decision. But that's the way it goes. On the other hand, I would like to say that you never know. The winter break is long. I hope that he will reconsider his decision. Let's also hope that he does not get to America, where the races are always dangerous". 

 

Montoya is not your friend: 

 

"I do not know him outside the track. I do not have any relationship with him. The only thing I know about him is that he drives the Williams car very well". 

 

You do not like to talk about records but you are continuing to collect them:

 

"Forget about records. They are satisfying but I will think about them at the end of my career. I wanted to win here for another reason. Monza and Indianapolis were difficult. I lived through a period when my morale took a knock. People forget things very easily and were already asking if I was thinking about retirement... In Japan, we were back to what we used to be a month and a half prior. This was a great end to a great season and it is wonderful for the team. Winning on my own terms means we can go into the winter break in a positive frame of mind".

 

You led the race from the start:

 

"As for the race, we had an advantage in the first few laps, which came from our tyres, which then remained very consistent after that. I was surprised at the gap I built up in the early laps, but at that point we were not sure if Williams were on a one or a two-stop strategy. When I saw that both Ralf and Montoya were also doing a two-stop strategy, I realised that the race was mine to take".

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What was your best victory in 2001?

 

"No victory is better than another. All season was superlative. It was the perfect year and this victory is the perfect end to it". 

 

What about the future? 

 

"For now, I am only thinking about going on holiday. I will be at the Ferrari Day, on the Monza circuit. I want to celebrate with our tifosi".

 

These are your plans for the foreseeable future, but what about 2002?

 

"We will fight and continue to win. We already tested new parts of the 2002 cars. We tested the chassis here in Japan and the new gearbox at Fiorano. I am sure that we will again be competitive. What I can definitely say is that I expect a big battle from McLaren and Williams. You never know what is going to happen. Let's see who comes out on top next year".

 

Michael already has clear ideas for the 2002 World Championship. The Ferrari driver wants to beat Senna's record of 64 pole positions and win the fifth World Championship, in order to equal Juan Manuel Fangio. The German can easily achieve these objectives, since he will probably have a dominant Ferrari car at his disposal. 


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