- Title: ITALY: FERRARI LAUNCH NEW CAR, THE F310, DESIGNED BY JOHN BARNARD
- Date: 15th February 1996
- Summary: MARANELLO, MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 15, 1996) 1. NEW FERRARI F310 WHEELED OUT ONTO PODIUM 2. CAMERAMEN 3. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER CLOSE UP 4. EDDIE IRVINE CLOSE UP 5. TEAM WITH TEST DRIVER NICOLA LARINI AND LUCA DI MONTEZEMOLO, FERRARI PRESIDENT 6. CLOSE UP CAR 7. SCHUMACHER AND IRVINE WITH GIANNI AGNELLI (WHITE HAIR) 8. WIDE SHOT OF PODIUM 9. SCHUMACHER SPEAKING IN ENGLISH - "IF YOU ARE REALISTIC AND YOU SEE THAT FERRARI DIDN'T FINISH 13 TIMES LAST YEAR THEN IT WOULD BE TOO OPTIMISTIC AND UNREALISTIC TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP. I WOULD LIKE TO FIGHT FOR A COUPLE OF VICTORIES. IF I COULD ACHIEVE THAT I WOULD BE PERFECTLY HAPPY. IF YOU GO BACK, FERRARI HAS WON TWO RACES IN THREE YEARS AND IF WE COULD WIN TWO OR THREE RACES IN ONE YEAR THEN IT WOULD BE A MAJOR SUCCESS." 10. INTERVIEWER ROYSTON MARTIN - "SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID YOU HAVE JUST COME TO FERRARI FOR MONEY, BUT IS IT COMPETITION THAT HAS BROUGHT YOU HERE ?" SCHUMACHER - "IT IS MAINLY COMPETITION. I'M A PERSON WHO BELIEVES IN MOTOR SPORT - I'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE I WAS FOUR. I'VE DONE 15 YEARS KARTING WITHOUT ANY INTENTION OF COMING TO FORMULA RACING. IT DEVELOPED ITSELF INTO THE SITUATION WHICH I AM CERTAINLY VERY PROUD AND HAPPY WITH. IF YOU HAD NOTICED, I HAD A CHANCE TO EARN EVEN MORE MONEY IN ANOTHER TEAM. MONEY IS ONE PART. I WANT TO BE PAID WHAT I FEEL I SHOULD BE PAID FOR THE JOB I'M DOING COMPARED TO OTHER RACING DRIVERS. THAT FEELING I HAVE HERE, PLUS I HAVE THE FEELING I AM ABLE TO DO A GOOD JOB, THE JOB I WANT TO DO, MAYBE NOT THIS YEAR BUT HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR. THIS KIND OF MOTIVATION WAS EXACTLY THE THING I WAS LOOKING FOR. I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR AN EASY JOB WHERE I SIT IN A CAR AND AM ABLE TO WIN EVERY RACE - OR WHERE PEOPLE AT LEAST EXPECT ME TO WIN EVERY RACE. THAT IS NOT THE KIND OF CHALLENGE I AM LOOKING FOR. I REALLY WANT TO FIGHT HARD FOR THE VICTORIES AS I HAVE DONE ALWAYS IN THE PAST." MARTIN - "WHO IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGER THIS YEAR ?" SCHUMACHER - "AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THE WILLIAMS TEAM WILL BE THE MAIN CHALLENGER IN MY VIEW AND THEN BENETTON SHOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO THIS TOO." MARTIN - "....AND INDIVIDUAL DRIVERS ?" SCHUMACHER - "IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY. CERTAINLY BOTH DRIVERS IN THE WILLIAMS - DAMON HILL, JACQUES VILLENEUVE.....(JEAN) ALESI, GERHARD BERGER, YOU HAVE TO NAME ALL OF THEM, THEY ARE ALL VERY GOOD PILOTS AND THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR ME - OR I WILL MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR THEM." MARTIN - "HOW ABOUT YOUR NEW TEAM MATE ?" SCHUMACHER - "HIM OBVIOUSLY AS WELL. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IT IS ALWAYS THE MAIN COMPETITION TO BEAT YOUR TEAM MATE, IN YOUR OWN TEAM, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE YOU HAVE REFERENCE TO - AND HE WILL BE, IN MY VIEW, THE HARDEST TEAM MATE I HAVE EVER HAD." 11. EDDIE IRVINE SPEAKING IN ENGLISH - "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CAR IS GOING TO BE LIKE. IT LOOKS FANTASTIC AND THERE IS NO REASON FOR IT NOT TO BE COMPETITIVE. RELIABILITY WE KNOW CAN BE A WEAK POINT OF OURS BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE ARE WORKING ON. FOR ME PERSONALLY THE AIM IS TO BE AS CLOSE TO MICHAEL'S EXHAUST PIPE AS POSSIBLE." 12. CLOSE-UP SCHUMACHER 13. SCHUMACHER AND IRVINE POSE WITH CAR ON TRACK, LARINI IN THE DRIVING SEAT. Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 1st March 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MARANELLO, ITALY
- City:
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA5JUD9L201OKU8EQ7TNSCO78JL
- Story Text: Ferrari launched their 1996 world championship challenger, the F310, in Italy, on Thursday (February 15), and from the front it looks more like a jet fighter than a motor racing car.
The sleek new model with stylish low front nose, designed by Briton John Barnard, was unveiled at a press conference in the Italian team's Maranello headquarters.
A confident Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo made clear his hope that the team would win at least three Grands Prix this season.
Fiat chairman and Ferrari major sharelholder Gianni Agnelli joined more than 500 journalists and the new team of Michael Schumacher of Germany, Ireland's Eddie Irvine and Italian test driver Nicola Larini.
Double world champion Michael Schumacher was not moved to change his belief that he would not win the drivers' title in his first season with his new team this year.
The former Benetton driver said: "I am not downplaying my chances. But I have to be realistic and we are starting something new here and I have a very high motivation.
"In fact, I spent four and a half years at Benetton and I felt quite empty. We'd achieved everything together and I needed a new motivation here," added Schumacher.
The first test is scheduled for Saturday (February 17) as part of Ferrari's preparations for the new season which starts with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 10.
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