Ferrari is not moving forward

Looking at Ferrari's first races in 2009, the prancing horse team can be reassured by the Istanbul qualifications. Räikönen 6th, Massa 7th, Ferrari did better than many teams in the paddock. To start with McLaren, which is no longer able to fight with its main rival in the 2008 championship. But Ferrari, with its past, its history, its budget, cannot be satisfied with the places of honor. And Kimi Räikkönen, eternally dissatisfied, is the ideal spokesperson for a Team who wants to go higher, much higher: “ We have made progress, certainly. But the others did it too, it’s always like that. »

Looking back at the qualifying session, the Finn imagined a better outcome: “ The car was better balanced than during free practice. But, even with a low fuel load, we are slower than the best. » The 2007 world champion does not see the race with much hope: “ Starting on the dirty side of the track won't be easy. Especially on this circuit which is rarely used, and which therefore offers little grip outside of the racing lines. »

Felipe Massa is hardly more optimized, even if he will not be placed on the dirty side of the track. “ With little fuel, the car was well balanced and offered good grip. But it got complicated as soon as we added more fuel and we suffered a lot, especially on the soft tires. Honestly, I was hoping to start in a better position than 7th place. We have to be realistic, from there it will be difficult to aim for the top places. »