Friday January 14th, 2000

Ferrari's 2000 Formula One challenger will be launched sometime between February 7th and February 10th, according to team principal Jean Todt, who spoke on the closing day of the Wroom 2000 International Formula One press meeting at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy.

Ferrari's sporting director talked to the press, praising Eddie Irvine coping with the pressure of being Michael Schumacher's teammate last season.

"Eddie Irvine worked very hard for four years and it wasn't always easy," Todt told reporters during Ferrari's traditional winter break in the Italian Dolomite mountains.

"We all know the good and the bad about being at Ferrari and that includes being the teammate of an enormous talent like Michael Schumacher.

"It was to Irvine's credit that he handled the pressure right through to the final race."

Irvine and Schumacher often appeared at odds as pressure built at Ferrari towards the dramatic end of last season.

The Northern Irishman emerged as a title contender after Schumacher broke his leg at Silverstone in July and when he returned the German found himself in the unusual position of support driver.

Irvine left for Jaguar after losing out to Finn Mika Hakkinen in the drivers' championship but helping Ferrari to the constructors' title.

Todt said he expected a closer relationship between Schumacher and Ferrari's new Brazilian pilot Rubens Barrichello.

"They both love football and their families," the Frenchman added.

"Barrichello need at least a year"

Speaking of Barrichello, Todt admitted that it will "obviously take at least a year to know how a new driver performs, but I know him as a smooth driver and one who is good in the wet, so this will be effective with Ferrari. I think he will integrate well with Ferrari and get on well with Michael.

"Eddie Irvine worked well at Ferrari. He brought a lot to the team and the team brought a lot to him. I think Eddie changed a bit while he was with us and I'm grateful for what he did, how he helped us win the Constructors Championship this year.

"As for next year, our aim is to win both championships; that's our aim for the new century. The new car will be introduced sometime between February 7th and 10th. It is a development of last year's car, with modifications."

Barrichello beats Schumacher on ice

Today's action at Madonna di Campiglio featured a 20 lap kart 'demonstration' but with the three Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers on track, plus former Ferrari men Rene Arnoux, Gianni Morbidelli and Nicola Larini, it's no surprise that it developed into a race, in front of a big crowd of spectators.

In the end, the three current Ferrari drivers crossed the line together - although Michael Schumacher was a lap down. The Tic-Tac trophy for fastest lap went to Rubens Barrichello - a portent of things to come?

This was the tenth International Formula One press meeting, and Michael Schumacher cut a birthday cake during the week. Everyone enjoyed superb weather and the journalists and drivers enjoyed a ski race as well today.

It was Rubens's first experience on snow, of course, and he kept thinking that while it was minus 16 degrees in Madonna di Campiglio this morning, it was 40 degrees back home in Brazil. Still, he said, he enjoyed it all enormously!