The upcoming Formula One season is going to be tough and Ferrari must be competitive from the very start, team principal Stefano Domenicali said here on Wednesday.
''I am very cautious about this season because we have a totally new car which is not an evolution of the previous one. It is essential that we are competitive from the start because we will not be able to develop alternatives during the season,'' Domenicali explained.
Testing during the season has been banned this year as a means to cut general costs as well as reduce advantage the richer teams enjoy.
Looking at Ferrari's competition this year, Domenicali said ''there are a lot of unknowns this season but I expect our main rivals to be McLaren and perhaps BMW. I also expect Renault to be strong''.
''At the upcoming pre-season tests in Portugal we will get our peek at competition. It will be interesting to see how our car measures up to the others and how much progress they have been able to make,'' Domenicali added
''We are going to need to keep our feet firmly on the ground because it's going to be a tough season,'' the Ferrari principal said.
Turning his attention to Ferrari's drivers, Domenicali said ''Felipe Massa looks fresh and ready to go. Last season he really matured a lot. Kimi Raikkonen can't wait to get back behind the wheel. I think he wants to be his true self again and not, as (Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di) Montezemolo said, his twin brother''.
Domenicali made his remarks during the team's annual pre-season retreat here in this mountain resort where he was asked whether two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, currently with Renault, would join Ferrari next year.
''There's nothing I can add to what has already been said on this. Our drivers have signed contracts, even if Montezemolo always says never say never. Fernando is a great driver and we would be very happy to have him with us,'' he replied.
