Saturday – Ferrari in F1 rhymes with optimism!
The two Ferrari F60s will start the Australian Grand Prix, the first of the 2009 season, from the seventh and ninth positions tomorrow. Respectively, Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen are doing fairly well amidst the noticeable shake-up in the standings between the top teams and the ‘small’ teams. Ferrari, along with BMW, are the only […]
The two Ferrari F60s will start the Australian Grand Prix, the first of the 2009 season, from the seventh and ninth positions tomorrow. Respectively, Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen are doing fairly well amidst the noticeable shake-up in the standings between the top teams and the ‘small’ teams. Ferrari, along with BMW, are the only survivors from last year’s championship battle.
Despite his normally mediocre performances, Massa nevertheless thinks that he managed to limit the damage today. In fact, the changes in the regulations seem to have turned the situation around. Brawn GP (formerly Honda) is dominating, while Williams, Toyota, and Red Bull are ahead of teams like Ferrari, BMW, McLaren, and Renault.
Felipe Massa – 4th and 6th (qualified 7th):
« According to our estimates, we knew it would be difficult to be among the top 5 today and indeed it was the case: we finished 7th in qualifying. Certainly, it’s not good, but it’s the best we could do. Now, we must stay focused on the race. »
The Australian GP has always represented an unknown step since it is the first GP of the season. Therefore, it will be necessary to be careful not to make mistakes and to take every point we can.
Kimi Räikkönen – 20th and 7th (qualified 9th):
This morning, a hydraulic problem made me miss the free practice 3, but on the other hand, it was better that it happened today rather than in the race… The car was quite good in qualifying, at least to drive, and I think we will be better tomorrow in the race. In fact, we are not as competitive as some teams, but tomorrow’s race will be long and a lot of things can happen.
Luca Baldisserri – Technical Director
« We need to understand why, in Q3, we couldn’t go as fast as in Q2, even with slightly more fuel. »
« Then, it is true that the race tomorrow will be very difficult since we do not have the best spots on the grid, but we are the best placed among the teams with KERS [Kinetic Energy Recovery System] and I think that is a real advantage in the race. »
« We will also need to pay attention to our reliability and the entry of the safety car. All of this will play a very important role tomorrow. »
