Ferrari's new signing Felipe Massa has spoken for the first time about his hopes and expectations as he enters his first season as a Scuderia Ferrari works race driver. Speaking at the team's annual ski week at Madonna di Campiglio in the Italian Dolomites, the 24-year old Brazilian talked about working with his new teammate, seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher, the progress that the Ferrari team has made as it looks forward to the 2006 Formula One season and puts a poor 2005 behind it, life as a Brazilian Formula One driver and Valentino Rossi's chances of replacing him in 2007.

Interestingly, Massa revealed that he has no illusions regarding his status within the team, certainly not as a potential number two driver to Schumacher. "My contract doesn't say anything (about status)," he said.  "It says that I have to do my best and that the team will give me full support and I have seen that in testing. On the other hand, when you have someone who came here after (the team had gone) nearly 20 years without a (title) victory and he goes and wins the world championship five years in a row then for sure he is going to have incredible support," he continued, referring to Schumacher. "Every new driver needs to win the support of the team but I think it is easier for the team to make two cars that are the same rather than two different ones and I think they want the most number of points for the team. To get advice from someone like him (Schumacher) is very valuable and he has always been very kind to me."

He went on to praise Schumacher and included rivals Kimi Raikkonen and last year's World Champion Fernando Alonso as being the best three drivers in Formula One. "They have the greatest talent in getting the right set-up and quickly interpreting the race track.," said the Brazilian. Talking about the rule changes which have seen V8 engines specified instead of the previous V10s, and the potential use of a number of sets of tyres per car during the race, Massa admitted that "the rule changes have helped us. Bridgestone had problems (with tyres) during 2005 but personally I have already seen an improvement," said Massa. The V8 engine is already being developed and it's very positive, he added.
 

Massa also has to deal with the fact that not only is he replacing a compatriot at Ferrari, but is continuing the Brazilian tradition of Formula One drivers. "I take great pride in being Brazilian and one day I hope to win the world title for myself and for my country but it is certainly not easy being a Brazilian in F1," he said,  twice emphasising that difficulty. He had grown up regarding Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna as his heroes. He did, however, show a little exasperation at the general media obsession with what happens in 2007 at the end of his year-long contract. "Every year is important for me, and everyone seems to be thinking of  2007, when we are at the start of the 2006 season and that is a bit funny. But I am calm. I am focussed on this season. When I talk to the people here, (technical director) Ross Brawn, (team boss) Jean Todt and so on, they are all talking about 2006," he said.

He also poured cold water on the chances of his possible replacement by five-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi, who has tested for Ferrari. Massa thought the Italian would need more time in a Formula One car before he was ready to race. "It is nice to see a driver coming from MotoGP but Formula One is very different. Everyone needs to gain experience in this sport and many of us started in karting when we were eight or 10 years old - he hasn't done that," said Massa. "He is undoubtedly a great talent but if he wants to come into F1 he need some experience, like doing a year as a test driver. But he needs to make those decisions."