China preview quotes: Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen: "We were so low that the result at Fuji got a whole new significance. Finally I managed to start from the first row and end the race with a podium finish. The team was really glad about the points we brought back home and that we managed to get back in the lead in the Constructors' Championship. I have to admit that the second place in the qualifying and the third one in the race are not exactly what I was looking for, because I had the possibility to gain the pole and to win the race on Sunday
"The team worked day and night to improve the car, but in the end my weekend wasn't so different from many others this year. Finding the right set up seems to depend too much on the weather conditions. We know that we got the right potential, but quite often it seems really difficult to find the right way to exploit it all the way. We'll nevertheless continue to give it a try - all the time.
"The start went well. I was ahead of the rest, just like we had planned. And when you turn into the first corner in front of everybody else, you should be there also when you come out of it. I have no idea what the drivers behind me were thinking. They braked so late that it was impossible to avoid the following chaos. It was an inexplicable mistake by the two cars from McLaren, who actually expelled me from the fight for victory at the Japanese GP. If I had managed to get unharmed through the first corner, I could have won.
"But instead of leading I was again stuck behind slower cars. We gave it our best, but we didn't have the possibility to race with a free track. I managed to overtake Trulli and I could have passed also Kubica during the second pitstop. But I was stuck behind Rosberg and lost precious seconds.
"I tried to pass Kubica a couple of times on the track where it was possible to overtake; we fought, but we both didn't lift the foot from the throttle and therefore I got off the track in corner 3. Later on I didn't want to risk too much. It was more important to gain an important third place.
It's true Sunday's result was a "sayonara" to the drivers' title although I knew since Spa that there wasn't much hope left. I should have won them, because then I still could have decided over my own destiny. But after the retirement it was just a question of time.
"Since January I tell you that I give it my best to win the title again. And if I won't win I'll try it again next year. I know how to become a World Champion. Now we're going to China. Let's see what we can do there, where I won last year. Shanghai is a very demanding track and I really like it. Our goal is a one-two win. I'll give it all to help Felipe and the team to gain the results we want."
Felipe Massa: "The Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday, was certainly interesting! It's always important to score more points than our closest rivals at this point in the championship, with just two races to go, so we can be pleased that we managed to do that.
"It was definitely not the race we had expected to have, but in the end, it was a reasonable result, with the team moving back into the lead in the Constructors' championship and for me, reducing my gap to Lewis in the Drivers' from 7 to 5. But there are still those five points, so we need to recover even more, but I think, the Japanese result was better than nothing.
"After the bad weather last year, it was enjoyable to have more time running at Fuji in the dry. I like the circuit and I think the race was pretty interesting, with plenty of overtaking and battles, which meant it was an enjoyable experience for the drivers, but also the fans who came to watch. We had some fun and on what is quite a difficult track, our car was quite competitive, which means I think we can expect to be equally competitive for the final two rounds of the championship.
"I left Fuji on Sunday night a few hours after the race and came to Tokyo. I usually try and spend some time in Tokyo which I think is a fascinating city. I love it. It's a nice place to be and although it is similar in some ways to other large cities like New York or maybe even Sao Paolo, it is also very unique and different; certainly less chaotic than my home city! There are plenty of places to visit, the hotels are good and the choice of restaurants is amazing. I have my wife and some of my family with me, so shopping has also been on the agenda and I think my credit cards must be on fire at the moment!
"I fly to Shanghai on Wednesday and then, the following day I will be attending the Chinese launch of the new Ferrari California road car: it will be the third race in succession that I've done this. And then it will be time to get down to work again. Last year, in Shanghai, I finished third in a race that began in the wet.
"The track itself is quite interesting and everything there is on a very big scale, although the journey to and from the circuit can be a bit painful at times with the heavy traffic. I had quite a good race last year and hope to do even better this time. I like the circuit and I think it will suit the F2008, so of course we will be aiming to get a one-two finish."
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