Michael Schumacher has conducted a series of test sessions and will leave for Bahrain safe in the knowledge that he has done everything possible to prepare for the new season. The weather has not always been helpful over the past few weeks at Mugello but the results have been encouraging nonetheless. The seven-time world champion believes that Ferrari has closed the gap from last year: "the consistency that we have shown during the winter demonstrates once again the reason why Ferrari is so surprising", declared Michael before leaving for Bahrain. "I am certain that our 248 F1 has the potential to challenge for the title. Though we have not managed to run as many laps as we would have wanted to, owing to the weather, we will go into the season with high hopes. Even if we do not win in the opening few races, we have, because of the work we have carried out, concrete ideas of the technical levels our car has to reach this season. This is very important. The ideal scenario would be to score some early points. In any case, we will be very motivated for Bahrain and Malaysia."

Since the team has tested extensively at Bahrain, the Prancing Horse will have a solid base to start from. "They were the first warm weather tests after Imola and were held on the same track layout as the Grand Prix circuit. This can only be an advantage for us. Another plus is that it helps in selecting the right tyres and set up."