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In testing in Bahrain. Kimi Raikkonen lapped over two seconds faster than last year's pole position time and completed a full GP simulation, including all three qualifying sessions! It's hard to establish where Ferrari are overall, as Toyota are the only other team present and one has to be extremely careful in extending the results of "The Winter GP". However, Raikkonen was delighted with the car and both he and Massa were quickest in January testing at Valencia where the others were present. Not too much can be read into these early tests as there's always a certain amount of, ahem, "marketing led engineering" to be reckoned with, but it does look like Ferrari and McLaren will again be the main contenders this year. It also looks like BMW-Sauber are struggling and Toyota and Honda are in trouble again. The true order will emerge soon from the final tests where the latest aero packages will be deployed and the teams will all need to run through the full range of fuel loads, settings and distances so the BS factor can largely be discounted. Recent years have largely shown that the results at the end of the season do not tend to differ hugely from those at these final tests at the start. Interestingly, although Michael Schumacher's role with Scuderia Ferrari has been defined as an official tester, he has yet to appear in the new car. Maybe Kimi has decided that it's HIS team now.
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