I am racing driver. So, obviously all I want to do is to racingagain. That is my job. Most of all I love it and I just cannot wait fo
the moment to get the new season on it’s way.
It feels that the time has flown since last October. I’ve had a nice
break and I believe we are going to Melbourne with a competitive car.
Everything looks to be in a good shape. Probably I have never started a new season with such a good feeling.
The car should be good. At least, we have done all we could. It felt
good in testing and, obviously, we expect it to feel as good in
racing too.
The winter testing has gone well. The car is a nice step forward from last year.
Ferrari have done a great job to improve the areas that needed to
be improved. We asked some things to be changed during the last season
and everything has been done.
The car has been improved in the slow corners and over the curbs.
We should be strong in every place, but beforehand you never know it for sure.
I never want to look back, but let’s make an exception this
time. Last season was finished in just a fantastic way that I will never
ever forget it, any way.
It felt great to have finally won the championship. I’ve been close
on a couple of occasions, but to finally win it with Ferrari in my first
year (with the team) has made it even more special.
I really enjoyed celebrating my championship win straight after the season.
During the festive period I spent the Christmas at home in Finland
and then went on holiday to Dubai to celebrate the new year with my
wife and friends. It is nice to have a break and just chill out after a
tough season.
The only thing that was different compared to previous winters was
that I had one test session before the Christmas. It was important to
try the car without traction control and with new electronics. It was
interesting and, most of all, I’ve got good feeling with it.
Then we got the new car in the beginging of January and the tests got under its way.
It was good to have two new cars so early, so we both with Felipe
got a chance to test a lot and, of course, it was good for the team to
get so much more data about all the new systems.
I was satisfied with how the tests went. We should have a
strong, fast and reliable package. We should be there fighting for the
wins and hopefully the championships too.
Personally I feel there a big difference to start this season
compared to last year. I know the team and how they work. There will be
no surprises. I’ve bulit up a good relationship with my engineers and we
understand each other and they also know how I like to have my car set
up.
The first stage is again Australia. I enjoy racing in Melbourne and it is nice to have won there already.
The circuit is very slippery at the begining due to being only used
once per year. Braking without the engine brake is a bit more tricky but
we’ve had many tests now and a driver adapts quickly.
I have good memories from last year, while we dominated the whole
weekend.We got it nicely together and we won the race from the pole.
It is always nice to get off to a good start. I know it happened
last year, but we sort of lost our way after that. It would be nice to be
leadling the championship with the other drivers playing catch up.
Every year we go to the same track and nobody knows what the other
teams have done in testing with fuel levels. I have always said I feel
Ferrari are competitive, but we will only find out for sure in Melbourne.
~
While I feel that Kimi may be stronger this year in himself having adapted
successfully in Ferrari, with Bridgestones (and obviously qualifying
andrace starts as a result), he could still be in for a difficult
season. Thank goodness TC is gone, Kimi is better with out it and it’s
a help to him in a sense. But Massa is going to struggle a lot in the
races, and although he was superb in Silverstone and Fuji last year
despite the grid and rain trouble, no TC means he’ll be even more
inconsistant. As the season goes on, he will improve but it will be too
late for him – and too late for Kimi. Kimi is going to have that
McLaren on his tail and along with the others in Heikki occassionally
and the BMWs and Renaults.
It’s going to be tough, no matter what they say. But hey, I’m really excited and can’t wait!
Ferrari: Only Racing is our Focus
From Autosport.com
Ferrari’s new sporting director Stefano Domenicali says his team will
not waste any efforts lingering on last year’s spy scandal, as they bid
to kick off their 2008 campaign with victory in Australia this weekend.
"We must concentrate on the races," he said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. "On the other issue we’ve already said and done everything."
Nevertheless, Domenicali has his own views on what happened last
year. Asked about his opinions on former Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney
and McLaren’s chief designer Mike Coughlan, Domenicali said: "Two
people that took themselves too seriously.
"Stepney knew he was good at his job and used that to cover a behaviour that did not distinguish him as a team player."
He added: "Look, what happened was the betrayal of one person who
had the necessity and the possibility of obtaining certain information
thanks to the role he had. Anyway, yes, we have tightened security even
more."
Domenicali is hopeful Ferrari have done enough with their F2008 to
maintain the momentum of last year’s title successes, but he says the
final proof will only come in Australia.
"The car seems like being born well, but we need confirmation on the
track, the confrontation with the others," he said. "(With last year’s
car) we were weak in our mechanical grip and in the behaviour of the
car over the kerbs. This has been made up for through the design, by
focusing on aerodynamics as usual."
And Domenicali has also said he is happy with the way that the
team’s relationship with Kimi Raikkonen has built over the past 12
months.
"We have understood each other, there’s been a nice evolution on his
side in the relationship with everyone," he explained. "He has his own
way to communicate technically and verbally.
"He is a fine youngster coming from a non-rich family. He is the way
he is. He is extremely quick. He knows how to concentrate at the right
time, but he needs someone to urge him to his concentration at a high
level. You can’t expect a hug from him, it wouldn’t be his style, and
we’ve learned that."
And when asked whether he felt Felipe Massa was mature enough to win
the title, Domenicali said: "In the last three years he’s made a leap
in quality. In 2007 there were two or three episodes, down to our
fault, that took him out of the title chase.
"He learns quickly, he just needs to improve his consistency in race pace. Yes, he’s ready for the title."
Ferrari Already Preparing for 2009 Car
Ferrari are set to make an early track debut for their 2009 car as
they bid to make the most of a major overhaul of technical regulations
for next year.
With a new set of aerodynamic rules, allied to the likely return of
slick tyres, a number of teams are already hard at work in preparing
their future challengers.
And Ferrari sporting director Stefano Domenicali says his team will
need to ensure they keep up their work for 2009 while also improving
their current F2008.
"The (new) regulations will allow for some sensational developments
that will greatly differentiate the cars, while today the possibilities
of changing are curbed by regulations we’ve had for many years," he
told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"For over a month now there’s been a scale model of the 2009 car in
the wind tunnel. We are making experiments full-time, and once again
we’ll need to get on the track very early.
"We’ll have to work in parallel on the evolutions of the car that is
about to go racing. But the team size is the same, we haven’t doubled
it."
Michael Schumacher, who has driven for the Italians over the winter,
could help Ferrari in their testing programme for the new car.
But Domenicali has made it clear that despite his running, the
seven-time champion is unlikely to be considering a full-time comeback.
"There are always too many dangers in comebacks," he said.
"Schumacher has the sense of challenge in his DNA, so nowadays he
fights against that DNA."
FUCK ISRAEL 