Ferrari predict tough fight in Spain

Ferrari are expecting a hard fight with their rivals for victory in this weekend`s Spanish Grand Prix, even though many consider them favourites for the win.

As the team race a new aerodynamic package that includes their `hole in the nose` concept, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are expected to be the men to beat around the Circuit de Catalunya.

But team principal Stefano Domenicali is more cautious about the prospects for the weekend and wary about the work closest rivals BMW Sauber and McLaren have put in during the break since Bahrain.

“We come to Spain with every reason to be optimistic, after wins in Malaysia and Bahrain,” said Domenicali. “Testing here went well and we hope to keep our momentum moving forward.

“However, our rivals have not been twiddling their thumbs either, so we can expect a tough fight which we will tackle as usual with maximum concentration at every stage of the weekend.”

Ferrari have also reiterated that the `hole in the nose` concept is not the single factor that is going to lift their performance.

“The influence on car performance of the slotted nose has been greatly over emphasised,” said chief designer Nikolas Tombazis.

“You cannot measure the effect of one component in isolation and the nose is just one part of a bigger package and in fact, its effect is not that big. Overall, we expect the new aero package to produce some improvement in performance, but it would be wrong to call it a race winning item.”

22.4.2008   ▪ Formula One    ▪ Ferrari, prediction    ▪ www.autosport.com