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Thursday, 10 January 2008, 17:13 GMT

Ferrari pinpoint McLaren threat

Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa believe McLaren remain their greatest challengers in 2008.

Raikkonen was crowned world champion last year, while Ferrari claimed the constructors' title after a spying row saw McLaren stripped of their points.

But despite the spying scandal and having lost Fernando Alonso to Renault, Raikkonen says McLaren will still pose the biggest threat to Ferrari.

"For sure McLaren will be challenging us like last year," said the Finn.

"Ferrari and McLaren will surely be very fast again. Maybe Renault and BMW could compete, but we will understand how it is going after the first two races."

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"Ferrari are right to be cautious as I don't think the gap between them and McLaren will be as great as it appeared in Brazil 2007"
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Alonso fell out with the team after just a year and re-signed for Renault with whom he won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.

The Spaniard clashed with team-mate Lewis Hamilton and team principle Ron Dennis in a turbulent season for the Oxfordshire-based team and has been replaced by Heiki Kovalainen.

As well as being stripped of all their points from last year, McLaren were also fined a record £50m and forced to halt development on three aspects of their 2008 car after they were found in possession of a 780-page Ferrari dossier.

Formula One's governing body, the FIA, feared design aspects of the quick-shift gears, fast fuel fill and the use of CO2 as a tyre gas could incorporate Ferrari data.

But Massa believes that despite their problems and Alonso's departure, McLaren will be no pushovers in the race for both the constructors and driver's titles.

"McLaren has certainly lost a great driver," he said.

"On the other hand, Hamilton has shown how good he is and Kovalainen could also do very well."



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Related to this story:

F1 launches in photos (08 Jan 08 |  Formula One )
Raikkonen drives latest Ferrari (07 Jan 08 |  Formula One )
McLaren put spy row behind them (08 Jan 08 |  Formula One )
McLaren admission ends F1 spy row (18 Dec 07 |  Formula One )
Raikkonen aims to stay at Ferrari (06 Dec 07 |  Formula One )

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