Monaco GP - Post-race press conference - Pt.2.

Questions from the floor

Q: (Bob McKenzie - The Daily Express)
Well done Jenson, the run at the end, what inspired that, where did you get the energy, and can you explain what it was like on those two last laps when you were able to cruise? What could you see, what could you hear, could you appreciate the crowds?

Jenson Button:
Yes, it was the first time I've actually looked around Monaco during a race, even though somebody said I was doing that back in 2001. This was the first time I had a couple of laps to let it soak in. I was doing a pace during the last two laps when it was pretty impossible to make a mistake. It was such a nice feeling, especially going past the pits and seeing the boys and seeing my pit board being shaken by Mikey Muscles, my physio. So it was a very emotional couple of laps. The run at the end was... it's been a long time since I've been on the podium in Monaco. I thought they were directing me in (to parc ferme), so I went in with all the other cars, got out and had to make a spectacle of it, so I ran around and ran down the circuit. There was no other way to go, all the other ways were full of people, so I ran round the circuit. It's amazing how much energy you've got when you cross the line first but it was a bit embarrassing.

Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association)
Jenson, I don't know how you are on your Formula One history but only six drivers have ever won five of the first six races and they are some of the greats: Ascari, Fangio, Clark, Stewart, Mansell and Schumacher. I just wondered what you thought about that, whether you've got any feelings being listed in that kind of company?

JB:
It's a great feeling, for sure. Facts obviously don't excite me too much, especially after the last couple of years that I've had but winning does and winning here is very special. I'm not thinking about the last few races, it's this race I'm feeling at the moment, and I'm sure tomorrow I will start thinking about the next race in Turkey but at the moment I'm thinking that I won in Monaco. That's a special feeling that will last for quite a while, I think.

Q: (Heikki Kulta - Turun Sanomat)
Kimi, did Felipe make it difficult to keep third place?

Kimi Raikkonen:
It wasn't easy for me. I needed to push all the time. We tried to push anyhow, to jump Rubens in the pit stops but we couldn't. I didn't know how many more laps Felipe had than me but I knew that it was going to be close but in the end it was not very close. I was pushing all the time anyhow. We knew it was going to be pretty tight but in the end it turned out to be pretty easy. After that we could slow down and just save the brakes and tyres and speed up a little bit at the end because there was one of the Red Bulls catching us up, so we just had to pick up the pace a bit. But apart from that, after the last pit stop it was great.

Q: (Tom Cary - The Daily Telegraph)
Jenson, you're now guaranteed to be leading the championship when we get to Silverstone. What's that going to feel like?

JB:
Is Silverstone after Turkey? Okay. Yeah, that's a great feeling. I always love the British Grand Prix. It is obviously my proper home Grand Prix. Even when you're not competitive and things are going tough you still get a lot of support there, being British, which is a great feeling. But also going there having won five races will be a nice feeling and hopefully there will be lots of Brawn caps out there. I think they've only just gone on sale but it would be nice to see a couple out there. It's a special race, whether you're in a good car or a not so good car. But turning up there winning the championship, yeah, it's going to be a nice feeling and hopefully I'll put on a good show in front of the home crowd. This guy (Barrichello) is going to be tough to beat there. I think he's beaten me every year he's been my team-mate but I will give it a good go.

Q: (Michael Schmidt - Auto Motor und Sport)
Jenson, how was your graining on the option tyre at the beginning?

JB:
I got a tiny bit, I think, but it didn't cost me a lot of lap time. We stopped earlier than expected but in the first couple of laps I wasn't pushing the tyre too hard because I thought it might grain and that might have been reason for it, it might also be because Rubens... I didn't grain and Rubens did because he was the following car and obviously you lose downforce but I was able to pull out a big enough gap. And I thought Rubens was maybe saving fuel initially but then the team said he was graining. It was a nice gap to have, very nice gap, when you're leading Monaco and you've got a 16s lead before the first stop. And then I really had to try and control the pace. Rubens seemed quicker at the start of the stints and I was quicker at the end which was more important for me to be quicker at the end, especially if he was stopping a lap or two later. In a way, you'd say that out of my wins this year, you could say that this one is the easiest but I also had a good gap but mentally this circuit is very tough. Every lap you have a chance of hitting a wall and that's game over and with the new big front wings, I'm sitting lower in the car as well. It's so easy to scrape a barrier with your front wing and that's game over, so you've got to be very precise. The thing is if you try and back off around here you lose a second and a half, so you've got to be pushing.

Q: (Peter Nugent - Riviera Radio)
Jenson, you were very focused all weekend. How difficult was it to shut out all the distractions that Monaco always brings? And the second part of the question: you live here, your father John lives here, a family celebration tonight? What have you got planned?

JB:
Well, I will be going to see Prince Albert later. I've got a suit and I'm looking forward to that. My mum's here, my dad's here and one of my sisters is here plus my girlfriend, so I've brought the full clan along and yeah, I'm sure we will have a good night as I'm sure most of us will. Monaco is a special race and Sunday night is a special night. Monaco puts on a good show.

Q: (Laurentzi Garmendia - Berria)
Rubens, do you think the car suits Jenson more than you and is there a particular track where you think you can have the edge over him?

Rubens Barrichello:
At the beginning of the season I think the car suited him a little bit more, especially given the problems that I've been having with the rear brakes being too hot. I had to run without the wheel covers and he could run with them. But since the upgrade in Barcelona, it came a little bit my way and it has helped me very much. I'm in the game pretty much. I think the car will suit me in Turkey, Silverstone... no, it can suit me anywhere. I don't think that a good driver can say I'm not doing well because the car is not suitable for me. If you're good enough, you just have to adapt to the car and that's it. It could come your way a little bit and could go away from you a little bit but at the end of the day you have to adapt to it and that's it.

Q: (Livio Oricchio - O Estado de Sao Paulo)
Kimi, you made your second pit stop before Massa like the first one. Do think that if Jenson Button left the pits after the second pit stop behind Massa, do you think your place would have been at risk?

KR:
I'm not interested in even thinking about it. Why should I? I was third in the end, that's the end result. I came in early because at the first stop we tried to jump Rubens because he was so slow with the tyres. We were forced to stop a bit because the people behind us were catching us quickly, so that's why we were earlier than him but in the end we were third and it doesn't matter what they did, that's where we ended up.

Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association)
Jenson, you talked about maintaining your concentration around here for the last few laps. What's it like maintaining your concentration going forward now, not allowing yourself to get too far ahead of yourself and think of the bigger picture?

JB:
Well, if you stop asking me the same questions over and over again about winning the World Championship I might be able to concentrate on the next race. I'm taking it as it comes. Nothing's changed. I don't know what would change if I did think about the World Championship to be fair. But I'm enjoying myself, as you can imagine and I'm just looking forward to the next weekend in Turkey but before that we've got a bit of enjoyment to do this evening.