Michael Schumacher could not hide his surprise at Ferrari’s dominance after he won the German Grand Prix for the fourth time at Hockenheim on Sunday.
The seven-times world champion German led home his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa for his third win in a row, and cut the gap to championship leader Fernando Alonso, of Spain, who finished fifth, from 17 points to 11.
Schumacher told a news conference immediately after the race that although he was delighted with his 89th Formula One win and his 70th for Ferrari, even he was surprised just how easily it came.
”Our car just functioned really great,” said Schumacher. ”We had a good work out before coming here, in the last test before the summer break.
”It is a package that is the reason we can perform as we do perform, but it is a bit of a surprise being that much in front. We will take it, though.
”It is the right moment in time when we need to have such a performance in order to climb down the gap in the championship and keep the pressure on. It was a superb weekend for all of us.”
Ferrari’s dominance was such at Hockenheim that they led their nearest pursuer by 29 seconds at one stage, before backing off to save their cars from any potential problems, and beating Finn Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren by 13,2 seconds.
It was also a fitting way in which to deliver the 100th grand prix win for Ferrari’s tyre supplier, Bridgestone.
Schumacher added: ”There was nothing bad because we had such a margin we could really drive safe. Off line it was very dirty, and in the last corner a car went off.
”Other cars had trouble and driving on the limit it was probably difficult in a way, but we didn’t have a moment. The car was great, the engine, the tyres, the whole package.” — Sapa-AFP