Hungarian F1 Grand Prix: Raikkonen and Schumacher keep the season alive

Ralf Schumacher, Panasonic Toyota Racing, 3rd place: "That was a great result and the team did a great job all weekend. I must admit that I was not 100 percent positive about the strategy we chose, but the engineers were right to take it. We expected high temperatures, so it was a balance between looking after the tyre and having to pit too early. We've had a lot of comments about not being as strong in the race as we are in qualifying, but we showed today that we can go as fast as almost everyone else. The car was great throughout the race, as it had been all weekend and the pit stops were perfect. In the end Michael had a bit too much exit speed to get past, so I was waiting for a mistake which he never made. All in all, a very good day."

Tsutomu Tomita, Panasonic Toyota Racing Team Principal: "That was a great day for us and we're obviously delighted with the result. Before the race there was a lot of talk about strategies, with a tight choice between a three-stop and a two-stop race. But we chose a three-stop strategy in order to make our tyres work as well as possible and in the end everything worked perfectly for us. We were a bit lucky at the start because both cars were touched from behind going into the first corner. Ralf didn't pick up any damage but Jarno's diffuser and rear wing endplate were damaged, so it's natural that he was struggling for balance. Nonetheless, both cars and their tyres were good enough to keep up the pace. Ralf was even pushing up to Michael at the end, but it would have been nearly impossible to get past at this track. So to pick up 11 points is very good news. But there is still a gap to the top teams so we will continue to push hard."

Jarno Trulli, Panasonic Toyota Racing, 4th:"To come away with five points is a fine result considering what happened at the first corner. In fact, I have to be happy that I was able to finish the race at all. The rear of my car was heavily damaged when I was hit from behind, so that made life really hard for me and made my car very hard to drive. After the diffuser was damaged, the balance was very unpredictable, switching from oversteer to understeer even in the course of a lap, and I kept asking to change it in the pits. Overall, I'm happy with 4th place because I could have ended up with nothing at the first corner."

Jenson Button, B.A.R Honda 007, fifth place: “We had a reasonably good race and secured a two-car points finish, which is great for the team. The car was running quite well and considering the fact that our tyre choice did not work for us this race, I am pleased to have finished fifth today. We are moving up the Championship and getting closer to where we want to be, so we are looking forward to a break for everyone to recharge their batteries and then getting back to business in the first Turkish Grand Prix. Everyone at B.A.R Honda has worked flat-out for weeks to achieve the improvement we have seen over the past few races and I wish the team a well-deserved holiday.”

Gil De Ferran, Sporting Director, B.A.R Honda: “It is good to have both cars finishing in the points yet again and demonstrating a strong, reliable package. This is particularly true for Taku, who scored his first point of the season. However we believe that we made the wrong choice on tyres and, as a result, we were far slower than we predicted during the race and were unable to fight for the podium position we were hoping for.”

Shuhei Nakamoto, Engineering Director, Honda Racing Development: “Both engines worked very well throughout the race today and the drivers got the best performance from the car. Our tyre choice did not suit today’s track conditions and we were unable to fight for a podium, however we achieved a two-car points finish for the first time this season. After this race the team will be able to enjoy a well-deserved summer break after a long season so far. When we return, I am sure everyone will be refreshed and ready to fight again for more even more points.”

Nick Heidfeld, Williams BMW, 6th: “The initial start was poor, a lot of cars went by but I made a good move under braking into the first two corners and gained a lot of positions there. After that I had big problems in the first stint. I had to turn down the engine power to the lowest settings we had because our temperatures increased after my car picked up some debris from the track. The balance of the car wasn't perfect but still quite good. I caught Button up after the 2nd stop but it is too difficult to pass here. Overall I am very happy with today's result, especially because I have collected some points.”

Mark Webber, Williams BMW, 7th: “I started on the dirty side of the track which wasn't ideal at this place but then I had a fairly good race. Collecting some points today was really good. Also it's a good moral booster for everyone who works flat out back at the factory, finally we had some good news for them too.

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