Ferrari Prepare for Crucial Test

World champion Michael Schumacher will lead Ferrari's crucial three-car testing session at Monza on Tuesday as the Italian team prepare for a massive onslaught in a bid to get their championship challenge back on track.

Ferrari were left shell-shocked by their poor performance in the Hungarian Grand Prix nine days ago which saw their lead in the constructors' world championship passed by rivals Williams-BMW.

In response, Ferrari will celebrate the end of the six-week mid-season testing break by running no less than five drivers at two tracks in Italy in a bid to regain the championship ascendancy.

"We will try (to fight back)," said team boss Jean Todt, whose team have just three races to recover their championship lead. "Whether it will be possible or not, I don't know.

"We have many things to test so we have a few more people and more cars. But the others will test as well, so it will be very much linked to who is doing the better job.

"We now need to see how the development programme goes at Monza. We have a lot of tyres we are going to test with Bridgestone and then we will know where we are. I think we will fight and we still have a good chance to succeed."

Ferrari will run three cars in Monza today (Tuesday), with Schumacher joined by test drivers Felipe Massa and Luca Badoer, while race driver Rubens Barrichello tests tyres with the old F2002 car at the team's Fiorano test track.

Barrichello will switch with Massa for the second and third days as the team evaluates new aerodynamic parts and electronics systems developed over the testing break.

"I am convinced that we can still get a lot more out of our package," said a confident Schumacher. "We will try and do that in the remaining races and we have lots of things to try out in all areas."

Barrichello has not been back in the car since his heavy crash in the Hungarian Grand Prix but he is confident he can return to the cockpit without any concerns and help the team fight for victories in the remaining races of the year.

"I want to get back in the car," said Barrichello. "It is scary when you become a passenger and that was the case in Hungary but I have already pressed the "reset" button in my mind.

"The race at Monza will be quite hot so we will have to make a good tyre choice and find a good set-up. Indianapolis and Suzuka might be better for us because the temperatures are generally cooler there."

Ferrari, however, are not the only teams planning extensive tests this week - their championship rivals McLaren-Mercedes and Williams-BMW will both also run three car tests.