Barrichello: Ferrari to Bounce Back

Speaking from his home in Sao Paulo, where he has returned after a day of testing in the new car at Mugello in Italy this week, Barrichello believes there is no doubt the reigning World Champions will be more competitive this time out than they were in Malaysia.

"We were very competitive in Bahrain last year, winning the race by half a lap, so we should have a much better race there than we did in Malaysia," he said. "You only have to look at how we performed in Melbourne, which was a very good weekend for us from start to finish.

"The new car is quicker. It is particularly amazing to drive through the high-speed corners. It is better on the braking and in almost every area. At Mugello, my first impressions were really positive and the car brought a smile to my face. With the F2005 we can really fight the opposition."

Much of Ferrari's hopes will rest on tyre supplier Bridgestone getting more on top of the situation that it appeared to have done at Sepang. Barrichello himself is confident - and has even emphasised that he does not believe the Japanese tyre suppliers were entirely to blame for Ferrari's troubles so far this year.

"Bridgestone knows what needs to be done," he said. "Remember in 2003 when they had a problem, they recovered very well. The tyres need to improve and there is much to be done, but I am sure Bridgestone can turn the situation around."

Speaking about Bridgestone's Malaysian woes, Barrichello said: "I don't think we can put all the blame for our Malaysian difficulties on Bridgestone. We were racing the F2004M car and we knew that this would probably be the toughest race of the year to go to Sepang with the old car.

"Obviously, we had a problem with the tyres, but it is not just Bridgestone's fault. You have to look at the complete package. As we say at Ferrari, we win together and we lose together, so the important thing is to stick together and make things work."

Ferrari hit the ground running on Formula One's first visit to Bahrain last year - locking out the front row and dominating the race. And although Barrichello is not guaranteeing a repeat this time out, he is eager to get out there and race.

"It is not an easy circuit for overtaking as the surface is very slippery off the racing line," he recalled. "It is a busy track with a mix of tight and high-speed corners. Last year, I enjoyed it very much. It is very unique and fun.

"Last year on Sunday morning we could not even see the circuit because of a sand storm and that was certainly a new experience! It has its own character and the country has a different culture to what we are used to, which is always interesting."