Massa denies doubting Mercedes engine parity

Felipe Massa has denied ever saying Williams may be running inferior engines than Mercedes’ works team.

"I hope we have the same engine," Brazilian Massa had said in Australia. "I believe we have the same engine, so it’s the car. Maybe."

That was on Saturday, and after the Melbourne race he repeated that "I cannot say 100 per cent" that the specification of the engines at the two teams are the same.

Massa’s comments moved both Mercedes’ Andy Cowell, and Williams’ Pat Symonds, to deny that customer Williams is supplied a different specification.

Now, Massa said in Malaysia: "What I said was not what came out (in the press). For sure many words were put in my mouth," he was quoted by Brazil’s Globo.

Massa said his original comments were during a jokey exchange with works Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg.

He clarified: "The engine we have is exactly the same as the engine of (the) Mercedes (team).

"There are some things in the engine that maybe a team can work differently than the others, but many people said that (I said) the engine is different.

"It is the same engine," Massa insisted, "and I am absolutely certain. If there is a difference, we have to work on the details and we are doing that in working directly with Mercedes."

Massa also said on Thursday that while Williams had a clear engine advantage over Ferrari in 2014, that advantage has been removed over the winter.

"Last year, what we lost in a corner we won on the straight, but today it (the performance) is almost the same.

"So, as well as the engine, there is very important work on the aerodynamics, because we know that we can develop in this area," he added.