Berger: Ferrari Will be Hard to Beat in 2002

The Williams team will have to work very hard to match Ferrari's pace next season, according to BMW motorsport boss Gerhard Berger.

"Ferrari are clear favourites for next year," said Berger. "We really have a lot of homework to do. I don't see how we can match Ferrari's pace and I think us and their other rivals will have to do a lot of work if we are going to be able to compete."

With four races remaining, the Italian team have already clinched both the Drivers' and Constructors' titles for the second consecutive year, and they are a massive 68 points ahead of McLaren and 81 in front of Williams.

Michael Schumacher took Ferrari's seventh win of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, taking his fourth crown. However, the battle for second place behind the German driver is still open, with McLaren's David Coulthard leading Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello by five points and Williams' Ralf Schumacher by seven.

Austrian Berger believes the Brazilian driver is the favourite to take the runner-up spot, aided by his teammate.

"There are lots of good tracks which will suit us coming up but Michael is going to be behind Rubens so much now that I think it will be difficult to take second place," he added.