A good start for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro on the first day of practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix with title contender Felipe Massa among the quickest in both sessions and completed the day’s programme without any problems.

“It might only be Friday, but it’s important to get off to a good start on such an important weekend,” the Brazilian said. “We found a good set-up for the car, which seemed to be well balanced in both sessions. The track here offers a lot of grip and so, even with today’s low temperatures, that was not a problem, especially given the tyres we have available to us here. My aim? To be in front of everyone, both tomorrow and on Sunday. Then we can do the maths when it’s over. Racing at home, with the crowd on your side is a great motivation for me: it’s a fantastic feeling, but difficult to put it into words.”

Team Principal of the Gestione Sportiva, Stefano Domenicali was satisfied with the work carried out, knowing how important it is to get off on the right foot on the weekend that will decide the outcome of both world titles.

“First impressions seem positive, even allowing for the fact that an accurate assessment of the results of Friday practice involves several unknown factors,” he said. “Furthermore, the weather, with some occasional drizzle, added a additional variable. Now we will concentrate on being as well prepared as possible for the rest of the weekend.”

Kimi Raikkonen was also happy enough with what he classed as a generally positive day, even though it is still only Friday and it’s too early to draw any definite conclusions.

“We worked through our usual program and tried various settings on the car,” he said. “The only difficulty was linked to the weather, with the rain coming down occasionally. My aim? To do my own race and help the team reach its objectives and I know what I have to do for that to happen. It will be a tough race on Sunday and you never know what could happen: we have to be prepared for every eventuality.”