Todt Has Total Faith in New Ferrari

Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt today said that he has complete faith in the new F2003-GA car and admitted he is eager to see the machine on track.

Frenchman Todt was present as the wraps were pulled off the new car at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters and the Frenchman admitted he is eagerly awaiting the prospect of seeing the F2003-GA on track.

"It is magnificent and we can't wait to see it on track," Todt said at the launch. "The car carries a very big responsibility but we have total faith in it."

The sidepods, radiator lay-out and inboard rear suspension are fundamentally new, and the gears have been redesigned to save weight and durability. The aerodynamic performance and cooling efficiency should be improved by the changes and the power steering has also been modified.

"I can truthfully say that every year there has been an improvement on the previous 12 months," said Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn. "We have not yet run the F2003-GA, but so far all of our performance objectives have been reached.

"However, its success will depend on how much progress our opponents have made and how much the new race weekend operating procedures affect each team."