Massa - I can win the title

Massa: confident mood

Felipe Massa is confident Ferrari's new F2008 can power him to his first World title in 2008.

Massa, who finished fourth in last year's championship as his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen claimed the title, reckons this year's F2008 is an improvement on last year's Championship-winning car.

Already the Scuderia's 2008 challenger has proven itself in pre-season testing, coming out as the car to beat over long distance runs.

However, it's no slouch on the shorter qualifying laps either, slashing last year's Bahrain pole position time by two seconds when Ferrari tested at the Shakir circuit in early February.

"Ferrari has managed to construct a really great car for this season, ironing out the weak points of the one we used last year," the Brazilian told AFP.

Victory

"All my pre-season performances indicate that I've got a car capable of allowing me to fight for victory."

But Massa concedes he is going to have to gain the upper hand over his team-mate to win the title, predicting that Raikkonen and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton will be his main rivals for the Drivers' title.

"My main rivals will be Kimi and Hamilton," Massa said, adding that he doubts former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will be in the running.

"If you have to take on Alonso it's better that he's driving for the French team than McLaren because it seems to me that Renault aren't at the same level as McLaren," he added

The 2008 Championship starts on March 16th at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne.