Mugello, Apr 12: The debut of Ferrari's new Formula One car has been delayed by at least two weeks, a Ferrari spokesman said. Spokesman Luca Colajanni told Reuters on Saturday (April 12): "The F2003-GA will not take part in the Imola Grand Prix but is now expected to debut in the Spanish Grand Prix on May 4" . Earlier this month Ferrari team principal Jean Todt said the G2003-GA was set to debut at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola on April 20. "The F2003 simply had normal teething problems of a young car, the F2002 is still a good car and therefore it was decided not to take any unnecessary risks," Colajanni added. Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello were at the Mugello track on Wednesday (April 9) to test the Ferrari 2003-GA car. Testing seemed to go well but rain on Thursday and Friday hit the test programme severely. Ferrari has had a disastrous start to the season. The team has been running a revised version of last year's F2002 in the three Grands Prix completed this year and only gained a second, fourth and sixth place for its troubles. Both drivers retired from Sunday's race in Brazil.


The new car has been faster than the 2002 in testing and there were indications that it was reliable too. Schumacher completed a total of 50 laps, with a best time of one minute 21.287 seconds. Barrichello covered 63 laps (4 on the short version of the track) with a quickest of one minute 21.210 seconds.


Schumacher said the new car was "a definite improvement, it is a question mark by how much. And that is something we would only find out if we were here with an old car at the same time. We have seen some indication but it is not 100 percent clear what actually is the gap".


Barrichello said: "Altogether the 2003 is a better car so it is nice to drive. It was my first time at Barcelona last month and I mean right now it feels even better. So I feel right now there are a lot of emotions going on because we want to take it because it is a better car".


Bureau Report