Ferrari pleased with debut, but not complacent

Fernando Alonso in the new F150

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali admits he is 'pleased' with the F150's performance in Valencia, but knows there is a lot of room for improvement.

Fernando Alonso topped the timesheets on day two of pre-season testing, having finished second behind Sebastian Vettel on the opening day. While a fire in Felipe Massa's car on the final day hampered progress, Domenicali was on the whole happy with week's work.

"As we already said at the launch, the important thing is to do many kilometers at the first test and in that we have succeeded," Domenicali told Ferrari's official website.

"However, the stopwatch revealed little and that will also be the case in the next test sessions.

"We are pleased with our debut, but we are perfectly aware that there is still a lot of work to do, both on track and in the factory.

"Over the next few weeks, we must keep our feet solidly on the ground and concentrate on our own job, without being distracted by what the others are up to. The first conclusions will only be drawn in Bahrain when things start getting serious," he added.

Technical director Aldo Costa took a similar track to Domenicali and conceded that while lap times offer some room for comparison, it is near impossible to make any real predictions as to where the F150 lies in comparison to its rivals.

"Looking at our own work in isolation, we can be pleased with what we have done," said the Italian.

"We are more or less where we expected, even if there is still work to do to have a full understanding of the handling of the car, especially when it comes to aerodynamics and tires.

"However, if we had to say where we are compared to the others, then it would not be possible to give a precise answer. I'm not saying we're stumbling around in the dark, but almost, given how many unknown factors are in play here.

"Then, you have to remember, this is only the start: for our part, we know that between now and Jerez we have a good basis on which to work on the mechanical side, while when it comes to aerodynamics, we will not see the final version of the F150 until we get to Bahrain. And I think that's pretty much the case for everyone."

With the majority of teams running their 2011 challengers at the Valencia test, Costa was provided the opportunity to examine some of his counterparts work, and found some interesting points.

"We definitely saw some pretty extreme things such as the exhausts on the Renault and the gearbox on the Williams," he explained.

While the design of the F150 may not have appeared too revolutionary, Costa reveals that Ferrari still have aspects to add to their car.

"There are so many irons in the fire, from our side too though, so it will be interesting to see how it all turns out," he said

"[As I said] we are pleased with the work we have done [this week]. What counts when it comes to having a quick car however is not so much to be innovative, but more a case of being able to have enough performance to deliver the lap time," Costa concluded.