Friday Report – Ferrari Finds Its Footing

Scuderia Ferrari led the way today by dominating the first practice session of the 2008 season.

On the Albert Park circuit, Kimi Räikkönen, who is defending his title today, quickly showed his performance potential and set the best time of the day, despite Hamilton’s time in the second session. Räikkönen, not entirely satisfied, then focused on endurance rather than performance, but hoped to do much better.

For Massa, the situation is a bit different. He secured two third places, often competing with Heikki Kovalainen’s times… Therefore, he is not entirely happy with this start to the 2008 season but is satisfied with his consistency!

Kimi Räikkönen – 1st and 6th:

« I am not very satisfied with the way the practice session went. This morning, we found good settings on the car, but in the afternoon, we struggled and our lap times reflected that reality. We need to carefully examine the data stored to improve the car. We have seen that if we manage to find the right setup, we have the potential to be competitive. »

Felipe Massa – 3rd and 3rd:

« Overall, I am satisfied with the start of the season. We have been able to work for the race, and I think I will be able to ride at a good pace over long stints. »

« Due to my off-track excursion, I wasn’t able to try the last set of soft tires at my disposal, but it certainly won’t be a big problem. The tires are very complicated to understand. Some lack grip, others degrade too quickly… »

Luca Baldisserri – Technical Director:

The day was a bit complicated, especially in the second practice session. The set-up of Kimi [Räikkönen]’s F2008 was certainly not the best during FP2, and we need to work to understand why. As for Felipe [Massa], he was very happy with his car’s performance.

At the end, the Brazilian went off-road, which means he was forced to end his work program a bit prematurely, and he admits that this year the margin for error is practically nonexistent. Now, we must prepare as best as possible for the qualifications and the race. It’s hot, and it will be demanding on the mechanical side.