Italians get wise for Spain

What a difference a year makes. Last April, Ferrari celebrated a third successive win from four Formula One races, were atop both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships and looked set to celebrate another world title with Kimi Raikkonen defending his crown in style.

The Finn had dominated at the Spanish Grand Prix, starting the race in pole position before setting the fastest lap and cruising to his second victory of the season.

Felipe Massa, his Brazilian team-mate, secured the one-two with minimal fuss, laying down a marker that Ferrari were once again the team to beat in motorsport's glitziest roadshow.

How things have changed. When the Italian team take to the grid at the Circuit de Catalunya tomorrow afternoon (4pm UAE time), they will be looking to improve on their lowly ninth place – one off the bottom – in the Constructors' standings.

They have a paltry three points from the opening quartet of races, and have Raikkonen to thank after the 29-year-old crossed the line in sixth at the Bahrain Grand Prix two weeks ago.

He registered his first drivers' points of the 2009 season in the process, but finds himself 26 points worse off than he was at the same stage last year. His team are struggling more so, currently 47 points behind leaders Brawn GP with 13 races left to try to catch the sport's newest manufacturer.

Raikkonen and Ferrari know they need a repeat performance in Spain this weekend to resurrect their woeful campaign. They have promised to improve, with their F60 undergoing tests to revise the aerodynamics, floor and diffuser.

Stefano Domenicali, the team chief, has called on Ferrari to kickstart their season in Barcelona, yet he stopped short of admitting it's make or break time for his team.

"There is no doubt that Spain will be a very important race," he said. "Firstly, because we should have the first step in terms of improvement to the car.

"But I don't want to say that Spain is our last chance. This is not the case. For sure it will be important, but not vital. We need to be very cool. We know we will have a different car, one that will, for sure, be better.

"But we need to see where the others will be because they will not be asleep."

With Max Mosley insisting this week that F1 could manage without Italy's illustrious manufacturers – president Luca di Montezemolo labelled next year's budget cap as "fundamentally unfair" – Ferrari need to prove him wrong. Spain tomorrow is the perfect place to start.

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