Felipe Massa has again played down suggestions that Ferrari will enjoy a head start in 2007 due to key rivals’ switch to a new tyre supplier.
Although the Italian squad has been Bridgestone’s preferred F1 partner for years, 25-year-old Massa insists that the new tyre is so different to last year that any advantage will be muted.
Michelin’s exit from the sport means that among those switching to Bridgestone are top teams McLaren, Honda, BMW-Sauber and back to back champion team Renault.
Brazil’s Massa told Autosprint: “The truth is that these tyres are completely new for everyone.
“Every single team is basically starting from the same point.”
Honda’s Jenson Button, however, thinks McLaren and Renault will struggle to adapt to their new supplier in ’07.
“(Their cars) have a lot of understeer. We’re more of a neutral car, and that’s the way the Bridgestone is,” the Briton told ‘Speed TV’.
Because of the understeer issue, Button also said he thought Kimi Raikkonen would adapt to Ferrari “quicker” than Fernando Alonso at McLaren.
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
