14/01/2007
NEWS STORY
Following the launch of the team's 2007 contender, Ferrari's Felipe Massa spoke to the media at the convention hall in Fiorano.
"I've already seen the car in the wind tunnel before Christmas and I've seen it again today in the plant. The car is very beautiful and has many more details than the one from 2006, such as the front suspension. There are many positive elements and I am really motivated to drive the car.
"This car has many aspects, which are the fruits of the work that has been done at the end of the last season. The driving angle has slightly changed, I already tried out the seat and I must say that there will be no problem to adjust to it, because the change is minimal. As I drove a lot with the 248 F1, in the beginning I will have the responsibility to give a lot of feedback to the technicians. We will already see by tomorrow if everything works and then we will take the car to Mugello and continue to further develop. Continuity is certainly important.
"I have always had good team-mates and the best thing is to have a fast team-mate to be able to compare myself to. I have learned a lot from Michael and above all during the second part of the year I grew enormously. On the other hand it is nice to work with Kimi; we will work together to make the car victorious. We still have to get to know each other, because we just met last week: He looks like someone with whom I can work very well. To come to a new team is never easy, because you need to build confidence, but here I was immediately able to arrive at a high level of competitiveness. It is just a matter of wanting and lots of motivation to work together, and this is what Kimi is doing.
The new tyres will radically change the way of driving. There is much less grip and I think that I have already adjusted myself to this new kind of situation, thanks to the teams' work, with whom we studied the new setups. It will be different for all of us, as we all start from the same set of conditions.
Michael will be helpful to Kimi and I. He is happy to be able to help the team. For all of us the collaboration of someone like him will be very important. Obviously Kimi and I have to think about winning, to put our cars ahead of everybody else. It is important to be consistent in every single race, from the beginning of the season, especially considering how it went last year. There will be lots of competitors; there are many teams working hard; there could also be some surprises. We should not only think about the actual world champion. We also have to see how Renault works without Alonso. It is important to continue working well, just as we are doing right now.
To check out our Ferrari F2007 launch picture gallery, click here