His remarks were picked up by the Italian press and Brawn was obliged to explain yesterday that the delay

His remarks were picked up by the Italian press, and Brawn was obliged to explain yesterday that the delay had been caused by a desire to incorporate all the latest findings from the wind-tunnel engineers in order to make the car as competitive as possible at the first race – unlike last year, when several rounds of the championship went by before Schumacher could match the pace of Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren.Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will – the saying could have been invented as a motto for Ferrari, where dreams of glory have been dashed time and again. “Then we’ll start to build strategies.” But in the art of getting the best of out of a Ferrari, and out of the engineers and mechanics, Schumacher has a four-year start.Like all newcomers to this particular team, Barrichello was falling over himself to praise what he had found at a factory which, unlike its competitors, manufactures both the chassis and the engine on the premises, working to a virtually unlimited budget “Everything is within this little city,” he said “The facilities are incredible. Testing has been going really easy and really good, and I hope it can stay that way during the season when the pressure and the difficult times come.”Todt’s view seems straightforward. “The intention is to give them the same car and to see who gets the best of out it,” he said. We both have to support the team, we both have to obey orders from the team, and as long as I’m in front because I deserve it, I should have no problem.”Schumacher, who is without peer in the art of crushing the legitimate hopes of his team-mates, made the expected encouraging noises about the new partnership “We get on well,” he said “It’s easy to deal with him because he’s a very nice guy I don’t expect any problems. I asked for equal terms and I asked for support, and that’s what they’re giving me.

I can promise you that if, at the first race, I’m winning because of me, not through an accident, I think they will let me win. There is nothing on my contract to say that I have to let Michael by. “Michael is in his fifth year of trying to win the Championship with Ferrari. I think he brought to the team not just speed but a lot of experience and a lot of motivation The team is better today because of him So I had to come in quite small. “At some point they’re going to get fed up of seeing me on TV. But Brazil has a lot of problems and, maybe if I can win races, it will help a little. And I’m convinced that I can.”To win races, however, he will have to beat Schumacher, which has prompted speculation over the precise terms of his deal.

Will he be allowed to beat his team-mate, if he can, or is he subject to the same team orders as Irvine?”If I’d come here saying: ‘Listen, I want to be No 1,’ I’d have trouble, for sure,” Barrichello replied. But the 27-year-old Barrichello, formerly with Jordan and Stewart, is the first Brazilian to land a Ferrari Formula One contract – a fact which has delighted his fellow countrymen, partly because they remember the late Ayrton Senna’s dream of one day driving a red car, “even if it’s as slow as a Beetle”.”They’re going mad in Brazil,” Barrichello said. I’m thinking, Jesus, this is a real good car, and I have to take my chance.”Back in 1951, a man called Chico Landi drove a Ferrari in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. “When I first came to the factory and I saw the car with my name on the side, it almost brought tears to my eyes,” he said yesterday “But I decided quickly that I wasn’t there for the emotion I was there to do a professional job and to win Now I’m not thinking like a young boy. Winning the constructors’ title took some of the pressure away Now we have to take the next step But this is sport. How can you predict the outcome of it?”After four years in tandem with Eddie Irvine, who played the No 2 role largely without complaint, now Schumacher has a new partner, the likeable and enthusiastic Rubens Barrichello, who has been thrashing the 1999 car round Fiorano for the last few weeks and makes no secret of taking pleasure from his good fortune.