Thursday, July 9, 1998

"Thursday Four" press conference

With Damon Hill (Jordan), Johnny Herbert (Sauber), Michael Schumacher
(Ferrari) And Jacques Villeneuve (Williams).

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Q: Damon, this is your home Grand Prix, what are your feelings?
DH: Yeah, it's a bit like last year with the scenario then. We came here
last year without any points. Unfortunately, it is very similar and we
would very much like a repeat of last year where we actually scored our
first points. It will bea bit late coming for us here at Jordan-Honda. We
are very optimistic and hopeful that we can get more in keeping with the
performance we can produce or reproduce at each race. It will be hard for
us to tackle the Mclarens or the Ferraris but I think there is much to play
for with the remaining places. They are probably between ourselves and
Williams -- and perhaps Benetton.

Q: Are the modifications a good fix?
DH: The car has felt much better recently. I would say after Monaco we
really had to think hard about the way things have been going here and
there has been a lot of hard work going on at the Jordan factory and also
at Honda. We are making progress but what we have to be sure of is that we
are making more progress than those at the front.

Q: Is there more to come then?
DH: I've been impressed with the progress Jordan have made throughout the
season. We've had a pretty good development of areodynamic pieces on the
car which I believe has brought the car quite a bit further the front than
the car we started with. On the other side we have made progress on the
set-up front, but most of the gains have come from horse power downforce
and Honda are helping us with that side of things -- but not as much as we
would like. We consider there is quite a substantial horse power deficit
between us and the competitive engines ie. the Mercedes and the Ferrari

Q: Is something happening on that front?
DH: I believe that there is. As you know Honda has made known that they
have plans to come back to Formula One and when they do make that decision
I would very much like to see that they do with Jordan and provide us with
the engine that I know they are capable of building.

Q: Is the current engine very much Honda as well?
DH: It is serviced by Mugen. It is a Mugen-Honda engine, but as you know
Honda are the company that design and produce the engine. The technical
background is very much Honda and they have an incredible record in Formula
One, good resources and are a very competitiive company. Their background
is racing, a bit like Ferrari. They have been involved in the sport as
their own team before they got involved in their sidelines.

Q: How much notice do you get of improvements to the Honda?
DH: From the start of the season we have had knowledge of various steps
they intend to introduce and they have stuck to that programme and we try
to fit in with that. Yes there is a lot coming through but it's not easy to
make a switch with an engine. But I believe Honda claim that they can make
a completly new engine in six weeks, so it would be nice if they could do
that in six week's time.

Q: There is a fantastic following here, do you feel the pressure?
DH: I think if I was leading the championship I would be feeling pressured
but the expectations are always high. I would very much like to produce a
result to be proud of. You don't like to be making up numbers in Formula
One and to be frank that is all we have been doing this season. We could
have got a podiun finish in Canada with a bit of luck and we could have got
some points in France so it's coming and hopefully it will come this
weekend. I wish I could do more than what I am already doing and I want the
fans to know that I am giving it my best and producing the best result of
the season this weekend would be fantastic.

Q: Jacques, have you been encouraged by Goodyear and its advances?
JV: Here the conditions weren't very good, so it was difficult to read into them.

Q: What about modifications, will it be different to Magny Cours?
JV: Definitely, The car is more stable and we have some more aero
improvements for this race which should suit the high speed quite a lot.

Q: Are you optimistic to win?
JV: I am optomistic for a good fight. To reach the McLarens and the
Ferraris is still a big step but we will get closer and closer and
hopefully it will be a good fight.

Q: Would you prefer wet or dry conditions?
JV: We haven't really worked this car in the wet and the way our rear end
works we don't expect it to be very competitive.

Q: There has been talk about you joining BAR. Any reaction?
JV: Yes, but that's very normal because we are very good friends with Craig.

Q: Would you join a brand new team like that?
JV: If all the implications were that it could be a winning combination
then yes. But you need to be certain to do that because it is a big risk.

Q: Coulthard has suggested he might leave the GPDA and he wants a drivers'
code of conduct. What do you all think?
JV: I think it would be very difficul to have a written code of conduct. It
is also very difficult to know from the outside what someone is doing in
his car.

DH: I think it is not for the drivers to decide. It is for the FIA to make
the decision and apply the rules of the sport at the right time and in the
right way, so everyone knows where they stand. I would urge David not to
leave, I think that that is the wrong course of action and I would urge
Jacques to join.

JH: I agree with Damon The FIA have these rules and they have to abide by
them. But as Jacques said it is very difficult to agree something on paper.

MS: I had a chat about this in Magny-Cours with David and I didn't think he
really wanted to leave, but certain things change. Maybe the FIA can
improve their system though.

Q: Jacques, what about re-signing for Williams?
JV: The team wants an answer pretty quickly. Personally there is no time
limit. The longer you wait the more cars you have in your hands and more
doors close also.

Q: What about the championship battle?
JV: The way the Mclaren started the season you wouldn't have expected
anyone to fight back. They still have the upper hand with the best machine,
the best engine and the drivers are driving well, but somehow lately they
have not got the points they should have gotten and Ferrari have managed to
get back in the fight so that makes it interesting.

Q: Who will win it then?
JV: It depends if McLaren make any mistakes or not.

Q: Michael, the McLarens are making mistakes at the moment and Ferrari are
advancing. Do you feel McLaren have blundered?
MS: If you look at the last race, you can't see big mistakes from McLaren.
It's simply we were prepared for Magny Cours and I believe we can fight for
the championship.

Q: Jacques, do you think you can fight for a podium finish on merit?
JV: By the end of the season we will be able to fight but right now it
seems difficult that a situation like Montreal happens again, but you never
know and nobody wants to give up and everyone wants to win.

Q: Before season many of you were worried about the new cars. How do you feel now?
DH: I don't feel the cars are particulary different to drive, because now
the tyre companies have made a hige step forward and it is atonishing to
think what the regulation changes have been over the last few years and the
performance consequently continues to go forward. But the driving has
become a little bit trickier and the cars are less forgiving that what they
were last year. They feel like they are more difficult to race and drive
before.

JV: Before you were sideways a few times and now you are sideways every two
corners, so you are bound to go off more often. Where speed is concerned
you can have as much fun. All you can think is how nice it would be with
slicks -- then it would be amazing. For racing it is definitely more
difficult and you have to rely more on the aerodynamics.

MS: It is pretty obvious if you take an estimate of spins this year and
last year you will see that there is more and there must be a reason for
this. Driving wise the improvements that have been done in the tyres are
amazing. For overtaking it is pretty clear there is less grip for the tyre
and more for the aerodynamics - the relationship is the wrong way for what
we want for racing.

JH: At the beginning they were very firm to drive and now they are easier.

Q: What about the technique of driving a whole race with no pit-stop?
MS: Before refuelling came in overtaking was more difficult. Without
refuelling there would probably be no overtaking at all. There is less
skill because you could easily drive a second slower instead of keeping the
guy behind you.

DH: I think that is not easy for us to compare. But from what I believe it
prevented a lot of the difficulities in setting up the car. We had a
passive car and in that situation it gives us a varying pace throughout the
race. Otherwise they could be quicker at the start and slower at the end.
But refuelling does give a little more for the spectacle.

--- Msged/386 4.20 beta 4