Germany backing Ferrari - 13th March 18:41pm GMT

Germany's four Formula One drivers pick Ferrari as favourites for the upcoming Grand Prix season despite the retirement of countryman Michael Schumacher.

Ferrari have not won the drivers' or constructors' championship since Schumacher clinched his seventh title in the 2004 season.

But Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg and newcomer Adrian Sutil told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa they saw Ferrari as the strongest team for the season which begins on Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

BMW driver Heidfeld, 29, forecast the drivers' title going either to Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, Schumacher's successor at the Italian team, or the Brazilian Felipe Massa.

Sutil, 24, of the new Spyker team also picked Raikkonen or Massa to win the drivers' title, while Williams driver Rosberg, 21, said Ferrari would be strong with "two other teams having something to say."

Ralf Schumacher, 31, who is looking for his first Grand Prix victory with Toyota, said: "Ferrari looked the strongest to me at the last test in Bahrain but the balance of power was different from day to day and test circuit to test circuit.

"That could also be the case during the season, which is why I wouldn't like to pick one name. Ferrari look the strongest, ahead of McLaren and Renault. But whether that stay like that throughout the year is something no one can say."