"Today, I have at last been able to find out how demanding this track is. Last year we were here with a package that was absolutely not competitive, while today the situation is completely different and driving the 248 F1 on this track is really good fun. I am quite satisfied with the way things went: the fact that I set my fastest time at the end of the session and therefore on used tyres is certainly a good sign. I am confident and hope to continue on this path tomorrow and Sunday. Clearly the heat seems to suit us and our tyres."

Felipe Massa
FP 1: 17th - 1'31.904
FP 2: 2nd - 1'28.164

Massa had this to say after his first day in Istanbul:

"All in all a positive day. We have worked a lot on tyre choice for the race and we have ended up with a pretty clear picture of the situation. First impressions are that the caris well balanced. I am happy about that and I am confident that we can be competitive. Yes, it’s only Friday but at least everything is in place for me to feel this way."

Ross Brawn
Technical Director

Ferrari Technical Director Ross Brawn, was pleased with today's running and looks forward to a competitive weekend:

"It was a good day. We got through some useful work with both drivers and we have a reasonably clear picture as far as the tyres are concerned. Obviously, we have to take into account how the track conditions will have changed by Sunday. The cars, fitted with new turning vanes and air intakes on the rear brakes, ran trouble-free and seemed to be well balanced. All things considered, we can be satisfied and can be reasonably confident about the outcome of the rest of the weekend."

July 29, 2006