"I can't wait!" he enthuses, "This is one of the most interesting races of the whole year because the circuit is so unusual. I have good memories of my GP2 race, when I set pole, led most of the race and, in spite of the pit-stop problems, finished fifth. I am really looking forward to seeing what the circuit is like to drive in an
F1 car! To be honest, I think it is tighter and even more narrow than what you see on television - the corners are tighter, the walls are always too close…You are so close to the buildings that the sound is bouncing off them, and that means you hear your engine much louder – and the engines of the cars around you… it's a really strange feeling in the opening laps!"
Ferrari – Felipe Massa (#5), Kimi Raikkonen (#6):
Ferrari encountered the best and worst of things at the Spanish Grand Prix, with Felipe Massa taking a second straight win but Kimi Raikkonen suffering a rare retirement that saw their championship fortunes reversed.
The Barcelona weekend was an odd one for the Scuderia as, having outshone everyone at the pre-race test, it initially found itself under threat, not only from
McLaren, but also, briefly, from
BMW Sauber. Things had turned around in time for qualifying, with Massa taking a third straight pole and Raikkonen third, and the Brazilian romped away with the race, having survived a brush with
Fernando Alonso at turn one. Victory moved him back into title contention - just three points off the lead going to Monaco - while Raikkonen slipped eight points behind after his electrical-induced DNF.
On a high after success in Bahrain and Barcelona, Massa is aiming to complete a hat-trick this weekend, even though he knows his history in the Principality isn't the best.
