“I think the Spanish and Italian people are very similar in terms of their character so I feel comfortable here,” began the Spaniard. “I like the philosophy of the way the team works, always being very flexible and having an open mind to everything, tackling all situations with great precision. In a way there is more pressure driving for Ferrari, because everyone has very high expectations of a team that is so famous on a world wide basis. That fact is always with you and it is motivating, so I am happy to have to deal with it. I believe every driver wants to drive for Ferrari at some point in their career which is why I am so pleased to be here and I feel that moving to this team was the best choice for me.”

Asked how he felt about the championship with one win under his belt, Fernando reiterated the facts that were clear from Bahrain: “It is a very interesting championship and unlike last year, there seem to be at least four teams who are very close at the top: Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari are at the moment all capable of winning. Also Michael Schumacher’s comeback is good for our sport and the media attention is higher than ever. Actually, I am very happy that Michael is back, because I have not won any championship titles since he retired!”

The new rules were also a subject for press questions, starting with the feeling when driving a car with a full fuel load. “In a way it is hard to take, because, as a racing driver you always want the fastest car and when you find it is five or six seconds slower than its maximum performance it is not ideal, but it is the same for everybody, so you just have to deal with it and it certainly made for an interesting first corner in Bahrain,” said Fernando. As for the lack of overtaking, the Ferrari man had no miracle solution. “For the past fifteen years, it has been a characteristic of F1 that it is very hard to follow cars and overtake and it is hard to know what to do to improve the situation. Maybe because the main factor on these cars is the aerodynamics, we should look at reducing the aero effect, but that would be a very long term project. It is inevitable that some races will be boring, because that is bound to happen from time to time. It is the same in other sports, for example in tennis you only see one or two truly great matches in one year. As for this weekend, I think it will be great, as I like this circuit, the race is usually interesting and the Melbourne atmosphere is exciting with so many very enthusiastic fans. I hope it can be a good weekend for us and that we see the podium again on Sunday.”

Felipe Massa faced the media on the lawn outside the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro garage on his first day at the circuit.

“I feel relaxed and calm, as I have always been in fact since before the first race,” said the Brazilian. For this year, we adopted a work method that aims at improving the car every race weekend and that is how we are progressing, on the right road. Finishing the first race in second place is a very good result, especially when you consider how the early season went in recent years. Getting a one-two was very important for the team and now the important thing is to be consistent at all races, finishing in the points.”

The journalists were keen to quick the Ferrari man about the opening moments of the Bahrain event, where he lost a place to his team-mate shortly after the start. “I did not take the first corner very well and my speed wasn’t right, which cost me time, so Fernando managed to pass me,” admitted Felipe. “It’s also true that it was the first braking point with a very heavy car and I had Hamilton very close to me, so I braked very much over to the right of the track, I did the best I could in the circumstances and, overall it was a very good weekend thanks to a perfect job from the team.”

Bahrain did not produce a thrilling Grand Prix and the lack of overtaking was clear to see. “Definitely with a heavier car, in a formula that depends so much on aerodynamics you really need clean air ahead of you to overtake,” explained the Brazilian. “On top of that, when the car is heavy you have low grip and if you get close to the car in front you have even less grip, which means that when the cars are very heavy in the early stages, it is very difficult to overtake.”

In order to make a better fit with TV viewers in other parts of the globe,since last year’s Australian GP, the race starts at 5 in the afternoon on Sunday, which did not prove very popular with the drivers. “We have already said that it would be good to bring the race forward by at least an hour or half an hour, but nothing has changed,” said Massa. “Running the race so late means visibility gets worse towards the end and I remember that last year, it was almost impossible to see the white lines on the track as the sun was setting. But the commercial side of the sport is important too and that is why the start time stays the same. I have to say that I love this circuit and I have always performed well here in terms of pace, even if I have never had any luck, always running into technical problems. I hope things will be a bit different this year.”