Ferrari's new car for the 2007 Formula 1 season made its debut on Monday at the team's home track in Fiorano with driver Felipe Massa giving the car its first shakedown.
Driving in thick morning fog, Massa completed some 20 laps in the morning and went back on the track in the afternoon.
Sources at Ferrari said Massa had been the logical choice to give the new car its first run because, as opposed to newcomer Kimi Raikkonen, he had the experience of racing last year's model and could best explain the differences to the mechanics team.
On hand for the new car's debut was Ferrari and Fiat Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo who said that "this year there can be only one goal: to win the world championship".
The key to achieving this objective, he added, was "reliability, reliability, reliability".
"We need greater reliability because if we had had it at the start of last season we would have won the title," Montezemolo said.
After winning the constructors championship six years in a row, with Michael Schumacher taking home the drivers title five consecutive times, Ferrari has come up empty handed for the past two years.
Looking at Ferrari driver line up, with Massa in his second year and Raikkonen replacing the retired Schumacher, Montezemolo observed that "each driver will have the same support. After that the stopwatch which will decide".
"What our drivers must understand is that they are not racing for themselves but for Ferrari. What is important is that Ferrari wins, it doesn't matter with whom," he added.
"I believe that both Massa and Raikkonen will be in a position to win right from the start. I'm convinced that they are the best pair of young drivers around," the Ferrari chairman said.
The F2007 is Ferrari's 53rd Grand Prix racer and is visibly different from last year's 248 F1 due to a longer nose to accommodate a new front suspension system, while the side ventilation pods have been redesigned for a revised cooling system.
The new car is also heavier than its predecessor and has a longer wheel base, while its rear is narrower thanks to a more streamlined gearbox housing for the all-new 'quick shift' transmission.
In accordance with Formula 1 regulations, the engine is basically the same used last year, although Ferrari was able to make some limited changes to its 056 motor while remaining under the 19,000 RPM limit.
