Ferrari will strike back, claims Rubens

With Juan Pablo Montoya predicting yesterday (Thursday) that this weekend's race will be difficult for Ferrari to win, Barrichello hit back at the Williams star's claim.

"With all the first lap problems in Malaysia it was difficult to know whether it could have been a different story, but I think we will be more competitive here," said Barrichello - who has not finished his home race at Interlagos for the past eight years.

Although Schumacher won at Interlagos last year, he only just pipped his brother Ralf, and the Williams/Michelin combination appeared quicker as the French tyre seemed to offer better heat durability. It was a similar story in the hot conditions in Malaysia a fortnight ago.

But Barrichello said he was not worried by the potential for another hot race: "I've been speaking to a friend of mine who tells me that Sunday afternoon is going to be a bit cooler, especially for us!"