Byrne Confident F2003 is Best Ever Ferrari

Ferrari chief designer Rory Byrne has sent a warning to the Italian squad's rivals by saying he is confident the new F2003-GA car will be a better machine than last year's F2002.

"I predicted the F2002 would be the best Ferrari Formula One car ever and it proved to be our most successful," said Byrne during the launch of the new car in Maranello. "We have not raced the F2003-GA so far but all our performance objectives have been reached and even exceeded.

"I'm quite confident the F2003-GA will be the best Ferrari Formula One car ever."

In 2002 Ferrari clinched their fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship, and their star driver Michael Schumacher won his third straight drivers' crown after winning 11 of the 17 Grands Prix.

The F2002, which made its debut in the third race of the season in Brazil, was only beaten once during the season, by McLaren's David Coulthard at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn claimed the new F2003-GA will be a big step forward compared to its predecessor, and added that, despite their dominant performance last year, they are not resting on their laurels.

"We have made the biggest step forward in performance to date with this car," said Brawn. "The car is the product of stability and a highly motivated group of people. The enemy of stability can be complacency but I believe our difficult first few seasons have been a reminder of how fragile such success can be."