Usa emotions
July 5, 2006
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Posted by
staffFerrari

I am back home in Sao Paulo now, as I am not part of this week’s testing programme. I am still feeling very happy about my second place in Indianapolis. It was a fantastic sensation being on that podium with such a big crowd, with Michael next to me and lots of Brazilian flags waving from the grandstands opposite.
I think Sunday’s race was very good for the future of Formula 1 in the USA and it was also very good for Ferrari and for me, as I feel I did drive a really good race and was able to push all the way. Racing is not just about speed, you also need to be intelligent, especially when you are fighting for a championship and so last weekend really was a perfect job from my point of view and from the team perspective also. On top of that, it has really given us all even more motivation to keep pushing all the way to the end of the season. On a personal level, this is my best result and so it is important for me in terms of my career, as you need to be at the front of the field to be noticed.
After such a dominant performance from us this weekend, I was often asked if this was a sign that Ferrari is back on top. Firstly, I would say that the team has been very near the top for a few races now, but circumstances meant that was not always so obvious. On top of that, in Indy, the other tyre company I am sure adopted a more conservative approach than usual in terms of the performance of its tyres, after events last year. When we are back in Europe, I expect the competition to get harder for us again and that we will not look so dominant. But in Indy, we showed that our Bridgestone can work at very high temperatures, which we will see now in the European summer. Also, we have some evolutions coming on the car, so combining this and some advantages from our tyres, I think we can be very competitive.
I am staying here in Brazil until Tuesday, where I will be relaxing, seeing my family and going to the gym. I am not a hundred percent crazy about fitness training, but the gym I use is popular with other racing drivers and so I find it much nicer to always train with some other people, as it makes the time pass more quickly.
I would like to congratulate with the Italian team for yesterday match!
Of course, I had hoped that I would be watching Brazil play in the World Cup final here at home, but unfortunately that won't happen now..