“This year has been a disappointment,” the flamboyant Italian admitted, “but it has been a lesson for next season, when we will come back even stronger. In many ways, our lack of performance was the result of the year we had in 2006 – we had to push even harder when the mass damper was banned, which meant we started late with our 2007 car and we had trouble adjusting to the
Bridgestone tyres. That left us on the back foot, and we never caught up.
“Once we knew the championship position [against BMW] was gone, we put all our resources into 2008. That has been our focus for two months now. The team hasn’t forgotten how to make a quick car, and I have a good feeling that we can climb back to our normal position next year.”
Ferrari – Felipe Massa (#5), Kimi Raikkonen (#6):
As one of the three drivers still in world championship contention in Brazil, Kimi Raikkonen is bidding to give himself a timely birthday present, as the Finn turns 28 four days prior to the race.
Though the outsider in points terms – lying seven adrift of leader
Lewis Hamilton – the Ferrari ace has vowed to take his sixth triumph of the season at Interlagos – and then the rest, as he reasons, is in the hands of the Gods…
“I have no special plans to celebrate,” he insisted. “It is better to focus on the race weekend. I just hope for one present for my birthday and I hope to receive it after the race on Sunday afternoon! I’m not really the favourite for the title, but as we saw in Shanghai two weeks ago anything can happen. Whatever happens, it’s going to be a very exciting race and we will give it our all.
“In the Chinese Grand Prix I had a very good feeling with the car and the team, but I think our competitors have done their job as we did. There’s lots of pressure on both sides. [McLaren] have two drivers in the race for the title and they are also fighting each other. Hopefully we can benefit from that.
