Massa: « Ferrari is where we wanted it to be »

An absolute confidence reigns within the Scuderia, says Felipe Massa, who believes they are exactly where they wanted to be with their new car.

And although McLaren took the upper hand on the third day of testing (on a dry track) in Barcelona, Spain, Massa believes that his team is in a comfortable position with regards to the development of the F2008.

See the Day 3 times in Barcelona by clicking here

The satisfaction of a new aerodynamic package that improved the car is one thing, but the Brazilian explains that there is still a lot of work to do to beat McLaren.

When asked what the contribution of the new aerodynamic parts was, Massa stated: « It’s difficult to be precise. Maybe one or two tenths, but it’s hard to make an accurate comparison. »

« But in any case, this is exactly what we were expecting. But we must continue to work on developing other things, notably the car’s setup. But we are where we wanted to be. »

The good times for McLaren on Day 3 in Barcelona do not constitute a concern for Räikkönen’s teammate, even though he is well aware of the level of their rivals.

« There is nothing to say about the times. We have completed our program, we have done what we wanted. In the end, times are precious but they do not represent the most important thing, » he continued.

« We are behind by a few thousandths. This clearly shows that we still have things to improve on the car and things to develop in the future. »

Massa worked on a race simulation yesterday on the Barcelona circuit. Indeed, Ferrari stayed an extra day in Catalonia and was able to take advantage of a track deserted by all other teams.

Finally, the Brazilian spoke about the expectations placed on Ferrari, which perhaps created some pressure…

« Last year, we were always the fastest and everyone was saying that Ferrari was the team to beat. So nothing changes, the approach is the same. We have to focus on doing our job and not listen to all the talk. »

« We will see in Melbourne. I don’t want to say anything before the first race because surprises are always possible, » concluded the Brazilian.