Ferrari chiefs hail comback title win

"I was not expecting it even if the hope never died," president Luca di Montezemolo summed up the feeling at the Maranello-based squad, after Kimi Raikkonen clinched the world championship in today's season finale having been the dark horse in the three-way title battle throughout the season.

"We must never forget that before the Chinese race, after Japan, with Kimi we were down by 17 points, with just two GPs to go, so that demonstrates the difficulties there were to get here," team chief Jean Todt said.

"But I'm very happy because this is the success of a fantastic team, with extraordinary drivers in Kimi and Felipe [Massa]. This is really a team victory, because if Felipe didn't finish second Kimi wouldn't have been champion, so I have great pride for these fantastic people."

Head of track activities Luca Baldisserri went as far as comparing Raikkonen's achievement to Michael Schumacher winning the 2000 world championship - Ferrari's first in 21 years.

"Today's title victory is as fantastic as it was in 2000, after all those years, because of the way it comes, fought until the last race," the Italian said.

"The way this victory came is incredible. We had to finish one and two and we did that, but other results had to fit in: there was almost just one combination that worked and that ultimately came up.

"Never giving up paid up, as was believing in it until the end, until mathematics condemns you at last."

And, the fact that the championship comes after the retirement Schumacher, who dominated Ferrari's most successful era ever, has added another emotional dimension to the team's celebrations today.

Sporting director Stefano Domenicali stated: "Having won both (the constructors and drivers) titles immediately after what Schumacher represented for Ferrari, but also Ross (Brawn), Paolo (Martinelli) and all the team that was there before, is an extraordinary, incredible achievement. It's unique in the emotion we're feeling now.

"It's clear we've just demonstrated (that the team can win without Schumacher) today, but Schumacher is Schumacher - he's great and he remains so.

"But we must think ahead: we've won this year, and obviously next year's objectives won't be different."