Felipe Massa hopeful of positive show at second pre-season test in Barcelona – Formula 1 news
Felipe Massa is optimistic ahead of the second pre-season test at Barcelona.
Massa said that he is confident of Ferrari’s new challenger, and added that the reliability of the car will be integral to its successful run.
Ferrari did not have the run they were hoping for during the first pre-season test and endured several technical difficulties resulting in cutting down of the laps they would have liked to complete.
Ferrari were probably the only team that started working on their car mid-season in 2011 to prepare well for the 2012 season to avoid a repeat of the dismal performance in the previous season.
Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso also suggested earlier that the team is working aggressively to come up with a car that can compete with the like of Red Bull and McLaren. He said that the offshoot may as well be to compromise or risk the reliability of the
car but the management is focussed on the competitiveness.
Massa drove the car on the first day of the first pre-season test and said that it is a new car and needs some hard work to handle. Fernando Alonso drove the car with some technical difficulties and the general idea was that the car has just not responded
the way the management anticipated.
“There's a lot of work to do to fine tune the F2012 but, as both Fernando and I said last week, I think this car has plenty of potential,” Massa said. “It will be important to do a lot of kilometres next week, because we have many ideas we want to try out
and it's essential we don't have any problems.”
“I'll say it before we even start: again this coming session, we won't be looking at the stopwatch, especially as you can never know what your rivals are running. The truth will only begin to emerge in Melbourne,” he added.
The limited number of testing days will only add to the pressure as Ferrari presses hard to come up with a way to make the car reliable. Ferrari will be relieved with the knowledge that they are not the only team facing technical difficulties with the car
as Red Bull and McLaren have not fared much better so far.
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