Barrichello Expects McLaren to be Main Threat

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello believes McLaren could be Ferrari's biggest rivals in the first races of the 2005 season.

The British team, who endured their worst season in decades last year, have been strong in testing with their new MP4-20 car.

"I see McLaren in fine form, better than Renault, who are just a tad behind. We are preparing ourselves, but I think the battle will be harder this year," the Brazilian told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I expect a great McLaren, especially in the first GPs when they will have the new car while our 2005 car will be in the wind tunnel. It's a risk we're aware of."

Ferrari will start the year with the F2004M, an updated version of the last season's machine, before they debut the new car in the fifth round of the Championship, the Spanish Grand Prix.

"Four difficult races await us, but I don't lose my smile," Barrichello added. "I remember the good laptimes at Montmelo. Here (at Jerez) and at Valencia we are slower, but these are different tracks.

"After all, Ferrari's best lap last year here was only seventh best, but then we later won in Australia in a big way. We need to be rational: to say now that we're slow is true like saying that the others are fast."

Ferrari have been setting unimpressive times in winter testing, but Barrichello says it has nothing to do with the competitiveness of their car.

"We work on old tyres because that's the real objective," he added. "That's why we are not worried about being behind with the lap times. If you see my lap time improving it's because we also test new tyres to see what kind of lap times they do, to see if we'll be able to get the pole position and how.

"To go faster here isn't difficult. Look at Sauber last Tuesday: they were slower than us. Towards the evening they did something and Massa got the fastest lap. At the moment Ferrari doesn't want to make the headlines like others do.

"We know we are slower by some tenths but we are concentrating on a programme and for sure we won't be changing our ways."

Barrichello played down suggestions that Ferrari were sandbagging.

"We don't want to hide anything. Renault and McLaren are going fast, but we've calculated that they too are running with fuel at normal levels," the Brazilian said.

"We are confident because we are solving every problem. Obviously we don't know where we are in relation to Melbourne, we need time. But there is a plan to get to the first GP while being able to fight for victory there."

The Ferrari driver also admitted Ferrari were struggling with getting the best performance out of their Bridgestone tyres over a single lap.

"We have a problem: the first lap on new tyres. The technicians are evaluating whether it's a problem related to this track and to Valencia or if it's a general problem. I don't think it is," he said.