Ferrari looking forward _ not back

Ferrari will not waste time second-guessing its efforts after Felipe Massa lost the Formula One title to Lewis Hamilton on the final day of the season.

"It was an incredible end to the season and once again I think we have to be proud of what we have done," Domenicali said Monday. "There is no reason for us to look back and say 'What if? What if?'"

In Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, McLaren's Hamilton took the drivers' title by passing Timo Glock on the final turn to take fifth place and beat race-winner Massa of Ferrari by a single point in the season standings.

"In all my years in Formula 1, I haven't seen such an incredibly exciting finish to a championship," said Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. "I always said that we'd be fighting until the last corner of the last Grand Prix and that's exactly what happened."

Ferrari gained some consolation by taking its eighth constructors' title in the last 10 years, a feat no team has ever accomplished before.

"It's a great achievement. This year Felipe had two races that will remain in the history of his growing career. One was Hungary, where unfortunately we had a problem but he was really fantastic," Domenicali said on Ferrari's Web site, referring to when Massa's engine blew while he was leading with three laps to go.

"And then there was (Sunday). I think that Felipe has matured a lot."

Ferrari's other driver, Kimi Raikkonen, finished the season third in the drivers' standings, after winning last year's title.

"This was a difficult year for him," Domenicali said, adding that he hopes Raikkonen will bounce back like Valentino Rossi did in winning the MotoGP title this year. "I am expecting the same kind of approach in 2009."

Montezemolo also praised both of Ferrari's drivers.

"We have two great drivers in Felipe and Kimi," Montezemolo said. "Felipe in particular is in my thoughts as he crossed the finish line yesterday as world champion only to see the title slip through his fingers a few seconds later. I can only imagine how painful that moment must have been for him.

"However, I would like to give him my very special compliments, not only for dominating the running out there on the track in front of his fans, proving he is worthy indeed of the world title, but also for his maturity and sportsmanship off the track."

At 23, Hamilton became the youngest and first black driver to win the F1 title.

"He was a very powerful rival indeed and his win, close though it was, was well deserved," Montezemolo said. "He'll have the No. 1 on his car next season, but he can rest assured of one thing: we'll be doing our very best to put it back on a Ferrari."