"Last year, I finished second in Belgium and in the past I had a fourth place when I was driving for Sauber. Like most of the drivers, I think this is the best circuit on the current calendar and I love the track and it's great to be going there. It's always nice to be at Spa and I have good memories of last year, when we had a competitive car and the team got a one-two finish. I hope we can repeat that performance and have a car that is good enough to keep ahead of the McLarens, which of course is our main target at the moment.
"I will also be hoping to be ahead of my teammate, but Kimi has always been quick at Spa, not just in Formula One, but he was also a winner here in the junior categories and he has won the last three Grands Prix at this track. So for sure, it won't be easy to beat him and I am looking forward to a good battle with my teammate. The F2008 should be competitive and our aim will be to bring home as many points as possible for the team.
"You cannot talk about Spa without mentioning the rain: if it's just steady rain, the track is not too difficult to deal with, but sometimes the rain in Spa comes with fog and that makes visibility very poor and it's not too comfortable to drive in. As a team, all we can do is to be as well prepared for any situation that might occur, including the possibility of rain at the back of the circuit and nowhere else, which I have encountered before. I remember watching a GP2 race run in those conditions and it was pretty interesting! We need to keep an open mind and be ready to react quickly if the weather changes suddenly.
"Spa is not a circuit where you can do so many laps in practice, because it's such a long track and apart from the time restriction of the length of the practice sessions, you also have to think about the mileage on the engine, at least after Friday. This also means you have to plan your work on the track very efficiently and make any changes to the set-up very quickly, so as not to waste too much time in the pits. The track length also complicates race strategy as a fuel difference of one lap could end up costing you a lot of time, which means that strategy is even more important than usual.
"On top of that, because driving the track is in itself so challenging, you really need a good car to be competitive; one that gives you plenty of downforce for the changes of direction and the many quick corners. The car really needs to be very well balanced. If we can put all these elements together from Friday morning through to this coming Sunday afternoon, then I believe we can have a really good weekend in Spa. I'm looking forward to it."
Kimi Raikkonen: "We're on the eve of one of the race weekends I really like. The Belgian GP is one of the highlights of the season and I usually obtain a good result at Spa. I need it more than ever after the results of the last races. The last race for example was one of those one should forget as fast as possible. It's a shame to be involved in many negative stories, but these things happen: it wasn't for the first time and it might not have been the last in my career. You just have to know how to cope with these situations. When I was in school it was never nice to get back home with a bad mark. The only thing you could do was working harder for the next time. Today the only thing I can do is to react to this negative situation.
"After Valencia I trained at home in Switzerland and then I went to Monza for a day of testing. The tests went really well: we tested some new solutions and the overall package seems to have improved. Having said that, we only know how it will look on the track at the Qualifying at Spa, because you never know how much fuel everybody has on board during the tests. I think that it will be a fierce fight; one test might not be enough to change the season's overall trend.
"I've only good memories of this race. Obviously it would be fantastic to win it for the fourth time in a row: considering that I haven't won a race in several months, a success would help me to get back in the race for the title after the disappointment at Valencia. Last year we managed to find a good set up for the car during the second part of the season and we won several races. We have to do the same now, because we have to close the gap in the standings. It's not impossible: 13 points are a lot, but last year I was 17 points behind the leader, with two races to go.
"The outcome of the Qualifying will be fundamental. Last year I gained the Pole and I hope to repeat it this year. At this circuit a good aero package is very important to face the numerous fast corners. The lap is very long and to have a good time you have to keep the right rhythm. I have to try to find a good set up during the Free Practice sessions on Friday and on Saturday morning and then I have to give it all in the Qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Whatever the outcome will be, it's nice to race at Spa. It's a very special feeling when you're driving on this track. And it's fantastic to drive here with a modern Formula One car with a really special atmosphere.
"There will also be a special moment this weekend. On Thursday afternoon the stamp the Finnish post has issued for the World Championships, which I've won in 2007, will be presented at the Ferrari motorhome. That's something really special to me: when I was a little boy I like to send postcards and I never imagined that one day I might be able to apply a stamp with my face on it. That will be really something I can tell my grandchildren."
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