Madonna di Campiglio, 16.01.02

First up on the list of press conferences at the 2002 Wroom event was Ferrari's new test driver, Luciano Burti.

What does it mean to you to be able to drive a Ferrari?
"It's really great. Every driver dreams of getting into F1 and once you get there, then the best thing that can happen to you is that you become a Ferrari driver. That's especially true at the moment, as Ferrari is now a very competitive team, good enough to win the world championship.

"After last year, the last thing I expected was to be here and I am very happy to be back on track, driving for a team where I have the opportunity to learn a lot. Furthermore, being at Ferrari is very important from the personal relationship point of view, which is unique in the world of F1 and that makes me very happy."

What were you expecting?
"This is like a dream come true. From the mechanics to the engineers, professionalism is at a maximum and I want to do my best to thank them for the opportunity I have been given. This is also the best car I have ever driven, which will make my job easier."

What exactly is your role within the team?
"I am a test driver and not the third driver. Therefore, when I drive the car, I have to keep in mind what my duties are. The future is open and we will see what happens. My contract for this year is as a test driver and I hope nothing happens that involves me standing in for Michael or Rubens. I want to do a good job to help the team win the championship."

What are your thoughts about the accident in Spa last year?
"An accident like that is a really tough experience. I had never had a serious accident, but then last year, I had four, of which two were really big. I was very lucky in Spa. The FIA has done a lot in terms of improving track and car safety and my Prost stood up really well to the impact, staying almost intact."

What about the possibility of substituting gravel traps with grass run-off areas?
"I have thought about that a lot and I can't really say that, if there had been grass there, things would have happened differently. I went off the track at 300 km/h. Gravel certainly slowed the car, but there are times when it can be dangerous. Think for example about Michael's accident in Australia last year. Tarmac would have been better, but that would not slow down the cars enough."

Is it possible that maybe the cars' aerodynamics is the real problem?
"Naturally, if you reduce downforce, the cars will be slower. Every year, FIA looks for rules to slow the cars down, but every year the cars continue to go quicker. Safety is a vital factor, but one has to remember that racing is always risky."

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