Todt: A weekend to forget.

Ferrari are facing a hefty repair bill following the Australian Grand Prix after both Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa found the Albert Park wall in what proved to be a 'race to forget' for the multiple champions.

After a lacklustre showing in qualification, Ferrari were quietly confident of picking off their rivals in what was always promising to be a race of attrition. Instead, they were the first name on the retirements list when Felipe Massa got caught up in a gaggle of activity around the first corner, when an out of shape Christian Klien knocked him into the barriers

It was the second time Massa had found himself in the barriers following his qualifying spin, ending a torrid weekend for the Brazilian.

Schumacher meanwhile found himself in the points once the dust had settled but showed a pace that was some five seconds down on the leaders, even being passed by Vitantonio Liuzzi's Scuderia Toro Rosso in the process.

Nonetheless, with the German running longer than the competition, he managed to once again get himself into play by coming out of the pits in sixth place and then setting a stunning pace as he hounded down Jenson Button.

However, after experiencing a couple of ragged moments as he drove up to the back of the ailing Honda, Schumacher ran wide coming out of the final corner, catching a harsh bump on the kerb and sending him into the wall and out of the race.

"I was pushing to the maximum to try and close on Jenson and pass him," he conceded. "Probably he had some problems as he was not very quick. I tucked in behind him and unexpectedly I got some heavy understeer and finished on the grass. I had to push, because that's the part of the track where it's possible to pass."

However, while Schumacher was disappointed with the incident that put him out of the race, he also admitted that the team still needs to work at being competitive, particularly where the tyres are concerned.

"We had chosen this compound specifically for the race, and once they reached the right operating temperature, they were going well, as was obvious after the pit stop. At first, it was difficult to drive, as after locking the wheels a few times the tyres were completely finished. It's clear we have a lot of work to do."

Massa meanwhile apportioned blame on his incident with Christian Klien. "Not much to say," he said. "At the first turn, I had Klien on my left and Speed on my right. Christian touched me, which spun me around and to the right, then I hit Rosberg and ended up in the barrier. There was nothing I could do as I was basically a passenger in my car. I am very unhappy because I am sure I could have had a good race."

"It was a weekend to forget," Jean Todt said. "Going home without points is a very bitter feeling, given that we had all we needed to succeed. Felipe paid a high price for yesterday's qualifying, getting caught up in the sort of situation that typically happens towards the back of the pack at the start. After a first part to the race which was difficult as it was hard to get the tyres up to temperature, Michael went on the attack to try and move up the order.

"Unfortunately, he lost control of the car after clipping a kerb which unbalanced the car and ended up in the wall. This big disappointment does not alter our targets, but it does make them harder to reach. Now we want to show with results that we have what it takes to get back on top, starting when we race at home in Imola."