Asked about the pressure from his team-mate Raikkonen he responded: I’m not in Formula One

Asked about the pressure from his team-mate, Raikkonen, he responded: “I’m not in Formula One for an easy life. We have big problems,” Ralf said.McLaren have traditionally fared well here, but Coulthard looked uneasy. Ralf Schumacher, his brother and closest challenger, was in 15th place yesterday, while Juan Pablo Montoya, in the other Williams, was in 17th “This track doesn’t really suit us. Schumacher Snr was only seven-hundredths of a second quicker than Heinz-Harald Frentzen, but it is unlikely Arrows will threaten the Ferrari come the main event.Williams-BMW are second in the drivers’ and constructors’ standings, but on the evidence here so far Schumacher should be extending his 14-point lead. Schumacher may one day become tired of winning races, or Ferrari may lose their edge Few in Formula One are holding their breath.

That’s what I believe I can eventually achieve,” he said.”Eventually” being the operative word At 22, he has time and opportunity on his side. If I’m No 1 Brit but finishing sixth it doesn’t mean a thing I’m here to be No 1 in Formula One. “Beating DC [David Coulthard] and being Britain’s No 1 does not really interest me It’s not what I drive for. McLaren were again dragged back into the pack, although Kimi Raikkonen, in seventh, was well clear of his more experienced team-mate, who was 12th.Such is Button’s single-minded pursuit of the sport’s ultimate prize that he put scant value on domestic supremacy. He is fourth in the championship, two places in front of McLaren-Mercedes’ David Coulthard, the man widely touted as a title contender this year. It was another variation on the Friday theme, drivers confounding form and logic to finish the practice session in unlikely positions.
There were, however, a few familiar and reliable pointers to the state of play ahead of tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher was fastest, Alex Yoong was slowest and Jenson Button was the leading British driver.Button was third overall, confirming his and Renault’s progress this season. Michael Schumacher, for all his current pomp, may one day receive a reminder of that from the architect’s ferociously combative son..

The consequences, as Montoya says, can be terrible to a man’s pride On the other hand, they can concentrate his mind. Patrick Head, Williams’ technical director, drolly observed after that race: “Driving a car that understeers is not exactly Juan Pablo’s cup of tea.” No, indeed, is is like giving a great torero an uninterested bull. I will never back away from Schumacher – or anyone else.”First, he will need quick tyres from Michelin, who were badly outgunned by Bridgestone at Imola, and a car with no tendency to understeer. I just have this need to do all I can to get the team – and me – back to the front of the grid. You just don’t want to go to sleep thinking you have left any room for anything that could have been done.”How upset was I at Imola? Yes, I wanted to kick things, but I also knew that there would be times when I have the advantage, and when you think that you feel better.”He shakes his head at speculation that collisions with Schumacher in the last two races – after which Schumacher won the argument with the wider jury, though on a majority rather than unanimous verdict – were the toll of mounting pressure “No, I’m not feeling any pressure on myself. You have to drive those wheels to the edge, and when you win for the first time, that feeling becomes everything You want it more and more and more Right now, I think I’m pushing myself as hard as I can.

If he hadn’t died when he did, I think over the next few years he would have won everything, like no one else had ever done before.”Yes it is true, Senna was a little bit crazy – no, he was a lot crazy – but in this business you just have to be obsessed with what you do. So, whatever the other factors, I had to say what I had seen with my own eyes of Senna and how it had been racing with Schumacher Senna was the finest there was and, I think, ever will be. He is why I’m here today, and, after all, they did ask me to compare the two drivers. Yes, getting to Schumacher, getting him thinking about me, is part of my job, but you have to remember that Senna is my absolute idol.