Todt sees positive in Spain disappointment

Although the team had been widely expected to take the win at the Circuit de Catalunya after strong performances in practice and qualifying, Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa just did not have the pace to match rivals Renault.

Sporting director Todt was not getting too downbeat about the showing in Spain, however - especially because he believes his disappointment only comes because his team are now competitive.

"In a way, it is encouraging to be so unhappy and to create such a disappointment and a surprise to the others because we finished second and fourth," he said. "I remember, a few weeks ago, everyone would have cried that it was a miracle.

"I think we have just finished the first third of the championship, with 12 races to go, and we are 19 points behind in the manufacturers' (championship), 15 in the drivers', so many things can still happen and we are in a position to fight."

Todt admitted that he had expected Ferrari to be a match for Renault in the race but that high track temperatures were probably not ideal for his team's Bridgestone tyres.

"We felt we would be stronger and the others less strong and it didn't happen, probably due to the evolution of the track, the evolution of the car package, with tyres in those circumstances," he said.

"One week ago, in Nurburgring, the same strategy, conditions, it went completely on our side and we were expecting that it would go in the same direction today. The track temperature, the different compound of tyres did not make it happen."

And although the team's confidence about their race pace meant they fuelled Schumacher quite heavily for qualifying, Todt believes the outcome of the race would probably not have been different if they ran him light in a bid to grab pole and control the race from the front.

"I don't think that at the end it would have changed a lot," he said. "Michael gained one position so maybe it would, maybe it would not. But anyway, the race is over. We have to focus on Monte Carlo now."