Montezemolo elated with Ferrari showing

Raikkonen led the race from pole position and was never troubled by his rivals, crossing the finish line over seven seconds ahead of McLaren's world champion Fernando Alonso.

The victory, achieved in the first race since Michael Schumacher retired from Formula One at the end of last season, left di Montezemolo ecstatic.

"I can't find the right words to say how happy I am," di Montezemolo told Gazzetta dello Sport. "You see, this is a special victory: the first one post-Schumacher. A giant has left, one that changed the history of motor racing, yet everything has remained the same.

"Ross Brawn has also left, but the team have not suffered from it. This shows we've created a team not just for the present: we've always kept a look to the future."

Di Montezemolo also praised both his drivers after their performances on Sunday.

While Raikkonen won the race, teammate Felipe Massa came home in sixth position after starting from the back of the grid following a mechanical problem in qualifying.

"Did you see how good Massa was? He was a boy when we hired him, now he's a complete driver. I like this Kimi: he speaks very little, but sticks to what matters. He masterfully drove the perfect car."

"Whichever of our drivers wins the championship, just one word matters: Ferrari."

The Italian reckons, however, that Ferrari must stay focused to stay in front.

"It was a great victory but we must keep our feet and heads on the ground. We have exceptional people: they're already at work this morning because we need to improve reliability."