It's all systems go again – at long last,

The long wait is finally over. It seemed a lot longer to me this time, maybe because we had so few days of testing. But better just a few than none at all. I am happy and proud to be entering my 3rd Formula 1 season in the year when I'll be contesting my 50th Grand Prix.

You've no doubt gathered that we have a new partner in the shape of McLaren-Mercedes, who will be supplying our engine and transmission system among other things. I firmly believe that this partnership is a major step in the right direction, towards midfield.
Even if I feel that the lack of test days means we'll probably need a few races before we get fully up to speed, I am confident that we'll put in a good performance and improve on last year.

I recovered well over the winter and began my preparations early. Now I'm feeling fit and well prepared for the new season – which is set to bring quite a few changes. All in all, I am happy with these changes. I think they'll help me to develop even further. Giancarlo Fisichella remains my team mate and I'm very glad about that. He's a brilliant racing driver with a lot of experience and a really nice guy into the bargain. He pushes me and challenges me, which helps me dig deep for my best possible performance. This year I'd like to make things difficult for him and beat him by a clear margin. That is my goal.

The atmosphere within the team is very good. Everyone is highly motivated and itching for success. Torro Rosso showed us last year that it is possible. A small team with a relatively low budget managed to outperform many of its bigger rivals. That must be our goal too.

Before I arrived in Australia I made a stopover in India – a PR appointment for our boss, Vijay Mallya. Now I'm in Melbourne, counting the hours until we finally get out on the track and see how things stand. After the tests there'll be lots of issues to discuss and many differences of opinion.

Is Brawn GP really that strong and have McLaren-Mercedes been experimenting in testing or are they really in trouble? How are things looking for Alonso and Renault and how will Kimi perform this year? So many questions – the answers to which will be revealed during the first few races and throughout the course of the season. I'm sure it will turn out to be an exciting one. I'm looking forward to it and hope for your support. After Melbourne I'll report back with my initial impressions. Until then I wish you all an exciting start to the F1 season.

Yours, Adrian