12/09/2008
NEWS STORY
The first day of the Italian Grand Prix weekend was characterised by variable weather. This morning, the rain was the main event, to such an extent that in the final minutes of the session, the red flag was put out as the rain was falling so heavily. The second part began on a still very damp track, until the sun shone again, when there was forty five minutes of running with dry tyres.
Stefano Domenicali: The weather was definitely the main feature today. Obviously, we were unable to complete the usual Friday programme, because it was only towards the end that the track was really dry. It was still useful however to get some indication of how the car goes in the wet, given that the forecast for the rest of the weekend is definitely not encouraging, especially for tomorrow.” From what we have seen, taking into account the usual Friday afternoon unknowns, we can be satisfied with our level of competitiveness. Kimi's contract? We have always said that we are very happy with our two drivers and it seemed natural to equalise the lengths of both agreements.
Kimi Raikkonen: I am pleased with how today went. Step by step, the car finally seems to respond well and I think we can be very quick here. The set-up is good and I don't think that any rain that might fall will represent a handicap. I will try and do my best, as always. The contract? I am happy to be part of this team, otherwise I wouldn't have signed! There's a good atmosphere between us all and I continue to enjoy the driving. So it was definitely not a difficult choice to stay for one more year. Even in the most difficult moments, we have continued to work hard and now we are moving in the right direction. I am sure the results will also come soon.
Felipe Massa: I'm not 100% happy with the way things went today. I struggled a bit to find the right grip level on the first timed lap, unlike the others. So, this means we still have to work to get it right, but I am still confident. It all looks very close and we must always take into account the unknown regarding how much fuel everyone has run. I am happy that Kimi has extended his contract: we have a good relationship and it is important for a team to have stability.
Luca Baldisserri: Clearly, today's work was limited by the weather, which was particularly bad this morning. Only when there was less than an hour to go to the chequered flag were we able to run in the dry and then the track conditions were very different to those at the test. We are reasonably satisfied with what we have seen, because the F2008 has confirmed it is competitive, even on an unusual circuit like Monza. The forecast for the rest of the weekend is not good and so it was useful to be able to get some reference points as to how the car works also on a wet track.