German F1 quartet forecast strong season for Ferrari

Mar 13, 2007, 15:25 GMT

Melbourne - Germany's four Formula One drivers pick Ferrari as favourites for the upcoming Grand Prix season despite the retirement of countryman Michael Schumacher.

Ferrari have not won the drivers' or constructors' championship since Schumacher clinched his seventh title in the 2004 season.

But Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg and newcomer Adrian Sutil told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa they saw Ferrari as the strongest team for the season which begins on Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

BMW driver Heidfeld, 29, forecast the drivers' title going either to Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, Schumacher's successor at the Italian team, or the Brazilian Felipe Massa.

Sutil, 24, of the new Spyker team also picked Raikkonen or Massa to win the drivers' title, while Williams driver Rosberg, 21, said Ferrari would be strong with 'two other teams having something to say.'

Ralf Schumacher, 31, who is looking for his first Grand Prix victory with Toyota, said: 'Ferrari looked the strongest to me at the last test in Bahrain but the balance of power was different from day to day and test circuit to test circuit.

'That could also be the case during the season, which is why I wouldn't like to pick one name. Ferrari look the strongest, ahead of McLaren and Renault. But whether that stay like that throughout the year is something no one can say.'

Schumacher said he was hoping Toyota would be strong particularly in the latter half of the season with the new TF107.

'We possibly need a bit of time to be up at the front but I am confident that we will be there by the time the European races come in May,' he said.

Heidfeld said his personal aim was to equal or better his best place in the drivers' standings when he finished eighth in 2001.

'I am convinced the BMW-Sauber F1 team will improve in 2007. The F1.07 was immediately fast and we have improved the initial difficulties with the car's balance,' he said.

'We still had too many defects in the test drives but I hope we can solve these problems by the weekend.'

Rosberg said he wanted to get into the points with a faster and more reliable Williams car.

'From a personal point of view I simply want to be satisfied with my performances and continually to improve,' he said.

Formula One novice Sutil said his initial aim was to get as much experience as possible in his first season in the Spyker F8-VII with a team also new to the F1 series.

'I only know six of the 17 Grand Prix circuits and have to get used to the Formula One circus,' he said.

'My aim is to finish as many races as possible and together with the team to get the maximum out of the car.'