Rubens expects Ferrari fightback

The Brazilian finished a distant third behind the Williams duo of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya at the Nurburgring, but reckons that the revised Magny-Cours track should suit the F2003-GA, despite talk that the team's package might suffer in the expected hot weather.

"I expect things will be better in Magny-Cours," said Barrichello. " I reckon we will have a good weekend in France and the new track layout should suit us. Our engineers have done computer simulations of the new layout, but we will have to learn that for real on Friday.

"I have heard that the changes mean it will be hard on braking, but we will have to wait and see. But I don't think we will see a repeat of the brake problems we had in Canada. The track is enjoyable to drive. It was not so easy to overtake, but it is fun to drive."

After scoring four wins last year in the dominant F2002, Barrichello has yet to stand on the top step of the podium this year. He currently lies just sixth in the overall standings.

"I'm still searching for my first win this season," he said. "It's going to be tough and finishing races is what counts. It is obvious that our nearest rivals and their tyre supplier have made a step forward this year, but this season is so hard to predict.

"Look back to the Spanish GP for example, where surprisingly it was Renault which seemed to have a very competitive package. It is all very close and, in a way, it's interesting and enjoyable."