Formula One 2007 – Ferrari emphatically takes the first battle

“Like Heikki I chose hard rubber for my first two stints then soft tyres for the third. Kimi, the winner, used the same strategy, as did the McLarens.”

When asked if he was satisfied with his performance, Fisichella said, “I think I’ve got every reason to be.”

“I reckon I got the maximum out of the package at my disposal. I also managed to fend off Felipe Massa’s attacks in the closing laps. The positive thing is that I’m happy with the car’s balance and reliability today. All we’ve got to do now is to find more speed and the team will soon get down to doing just that.”

Ferrari’s second driver, Brazilian Felipe Massa began the race from the absolute rear of the field and ran a one-stop strategy to show he can deliver speed in even the worst circumstance – running a heavy car on a track with limited overtaking opportunity. "After what happened in qualifying yesterday it would have been difficult to do any better than this sixth place. I was able to run at a good pace even with a full fuel load facing a race that would be one long climb through the field. The F2007 was very competitive and so I am optimistic about the next few races. But I cannot forget the disappointment for the failure in qualifying, which meant I had to start from the back of the grid. If not for that, I would definitely have been fighting for the win. But I am happy with the overall result in terms of what it means for the team and I am happy for Kimi who won on his debut with Ferrari."

Ferrari’s Luca Baldisserri: "This is a very important result for the whole team, as it is the result of the hard work from everyone in the Gestione Sportiva throughout the winter. We took on a significant reorganisation and seeing its efforts rewarded like this is further motivation for pushing on even further. We picked up thirteen points thanks to extraordinary performances from our two drivers. Starting from pole, Kimi was able to control the race right from the start, while Felipe, hampered by yesterday's gearbox failure in qualifying, started last and put on a really impressive climb up the order to finish sixth. The F2007s were competitive and the only problem was a radio malfunction on Kimi's car, which happened soon after the start. Now we must carry on working to improve still further our competitiveness and to get the overall reliability that is still eluding us."

Panasonic Toyota Racing will leave Melbourne with a solitary point courtesy of Ralf Schumacher’s eighth place at today’s Australian Grand Prix. Jarno Trulli was next home in 9th place, just outside the points on a sunny day at Albert Park when track temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius. After yesterday’s strong performance in qualifying, Trulli and Schumacher lined up in 8th and 9th on the grid. Schumacher made it in front into the first corner and the pair ran in line astern for most of the first stint. The race spaced out after that but they ended up coming home in the same positions. The 2007 rules state that all cars must use both types of tyre during the race and both drivers used the softer tyre for their final stint. Towards the end of the race Schumacher started to lose pneumatic pressure in his engine but he made it home to kick off the team’s account for 2007.

Ralf Schumacher: “We had expected to be in the top ten but to bring two cars home is a good result in the first race. The conditions were good for the race but the car was a little difficult so it was hard work at times. Towards the end of the race we had a problem with pneumatic pressure but we made it to the finish and it’s good to come away with a point. We became faster towards the end and the strategy worked well, we just need to work on the speed now. We have some performance to catch up so we have to develop our car to get closer. I remain confident because the chance is there to improve. It will just be a matter of concentrating on each area and working hard.”

Jarno Trulli: “That was a difficult afternoon for me and it was a pity that I just missed out on the points. The car made a poor start and I lost two places into the first corner. I made a good move to gain one back on the first lap but then I was held up behind Ralf for the first stint. I lost more time when Fisichella pulled out of the pits in front of me. I couldn’t get past him and because he was heavy on fuel I lost ground. From then on I was unable to make much more impact. The balance of the car was not too bad but there was no way to gain places. Later I had trouble with my brakes so my pace dropped further. Still, we made the finish and after our hard winter of testing it has been a reasonable weekend.”

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