( Worldcarfans ) - Ferrari's 54th single seater will be competing for the 2008 Formula One championship, where Kimi 'Iceman' Raikkonen will be defending his crown and Felipe Massa will be looking to beat his teammate to the punch. Obviously the entire Ferrari team is poised to stay ahead of McLaren, BMW and the rest of the Formula One teams.
2008 will bring a host of changes to F1, amongst which the new SECU (Standard Electronic Control Unit), gearbox rules (must now be used for four consecutive events), safety (higher side protection around the driver's helmet), materials (limit to type of composites that can be used) and the much talked about loss of traction control. Aerodynamicly the car has been totally revised and will be totally changed again before the season starts in March at the Australian Grand Prix.
Kimi Raikkonen said: "The most dangerous competitors? McLaren will be there for sure. And then there's BMW. It will be a difficult year." Traction control is one of the systems the FIA has ruled out for the competition, Kimi said: "It will be much more complex to drive, that's for sure. Especially on wet tracks. But it will be also much more fun."
Felipe Massa gave the new 2008 Ferrari two thumbs up. "The first impression of the car is that it is really beautiful. Just like every other Ferrari. The looks are important, but the performance and the reliability are even more important." he said. In response to the loss of traction control Felipe said: "When there's less grip you can use the tyres much better. It really is different now. You have to take care of the accelerator; even more than of the brakes. The driving style has to be softer and less aggressive."
