Ferrari to Stay with F2002 as Pressure Mounts

The heat is on Ferrari but the Formula One World Champions have no plans to rush their new car into action before the first European race next month.

"We knew our competitors have made progress and this race only serves to confirm that," said sporting director Jean Todt after Kimi Raikkonen handed McLaren their second win in the year's two races to date.

"Now we have to be work along with our technical partners... to be as well prepared as possible for the next race in Brazil, where we will continue to race the F2002."

The new F2003-GA car, named after late Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli, has looked considerably faster than the old but it has also crashed heavily twice in testing. It is expected to break cover at Imola, the San Marino Grand Prix, on April 20.

Last year Ferrari changed tack when Williams celebrated a one-two in Malaysia, giving the F2002 its debut in Brazil after originally intending to hold it back until Imola. Five times World Champion Michael Schumacher won with it in Sao Paulo and the car was beaten only once, by McLaren's David Coulthard in Monaco, before this month.

The picture looks very different now due to various circumstances, including bad weather, rule changes and above all simple human error. For the first time since he came into the sport in 1991, Schumacher has failed to secure a podium finish in one of the opening two races.

Ferrari, winners of 15 of the 17 rounds last year, saw their record run of 53 successive podiums ended in Melbourne on March 9 while Schumacher gave up the Championship lead he had held since September 2000.

Costly Mistakes

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, who crashed in Melbourne, took second place in Malaysia to secure an opening podium but the German has made two costly mistakes in two races - extraordinary for Formula One's master of precision.

"Two mistakes in two consecutive races - that's unusual for you, isn't it?," he was asked after the race.

"But not for human beings," Germany's SID agency quoted Schumacher as replying.

Coulthard, who failed to finish on Sunday, has long maintained that Schumacher is vulnerable to pressure and the first two races have seen him mixing it with his rivals far more than in the past. McLaren boss Ron Dennis was confident that his team, who have also yet to deploy their new Mercedes-powered car, could continue to pile on the pressure.

"I think that they've got some pressure now and under pressure everybody makes a few mistakes," he said. "We have excellent drivers, I think an excellent stable Grand Prix car and, with the exception of David's problem, quite good reliability.

"We've got to maintain that reliability through the remaining races in the early part of the season and hopefully bring a new car in at the point where it can pick up where this one left off. Our target was always to get as many points as we could in the opening races.

"We were under no illusions that it was going to be tough. Williams are still strong as are the other competition and it's early days. We're not going to Brazil with anything other than the attitude that it's going to be a tough race to win."