Ferrari satisfied after 'solid' start in Spain

The first pre-season test of 2014 has provided Ferrari with a ‘solid starting point’, according to team principal Stefano Domenicali.

The Italian squad completed the second-most laps of any team with their new F14 T machine in Jerez, but more importantly they were able to validate their wind tunnel data on track - something the Scuderia has struggled with in recent years.

“These were four very demanding and important days to give us something to work on over the coming days in Maranello,” Domenicali told Ferrari’s official website.

“The technical parameters of the F14 T, as well as the aerodynamic validation we saw on track, match our expectations and provide a solid starting point, which we must now exploit as much as possible."

Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso recorded the fifth and seventh fastest times of the week respectively in Spain, but Domenicali warned that it was too early to assess the competitive order of the grid.

“We can’t evaluate performance levels at the moment, neither that of the F14 T, nor those of our rivals,” he said.

“The important thing is to do as many laps as possible to give our engineers the data they need to continue with the development of the car. It would be premature to make any precise evaluations. What counts for more is to have clear ideas on what we must do now and on the direction to take, so that we arrive in Melbourne in the best possible shape.”

The second pre-season test of 2014 takes place in Bahrain from February 19-22.