Felipe Massa emotional after amazing home podium

Felipe Massa struggled to fight back the tears after a superlative 3rd place finish at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, after the local hero initially struggled throughout the early stages of the season. This lack of competitiveness at the start of the season created widespread speculation that Massa would be replaced for 2013.

However, as the season progressed Felipe Massa managed to pick up his performance. After a tough 2011 season, which saw Massa become the first Ferrari driver not to step onto the podium in an entire season since Ivan Capelli back in 1992, the Brazilian driver was in desperate need of success to keep in his career at Maranello alive. As the season progressed and Felipe Massa didn’t, speculation began to gather serious momentum that the Brazilian driver would be replaced for 2013.

These allegations, which grew more wilder each week, linked many different drivers to Felipe Massa’s Ferrari seat, including Paul di Resta, Sergio Perez, Robert Kubica and even McLaren driver Jenson Button. However, after Felipe Massa finished 4th at the British Grand Prix, the 31-year-old’s performance gradually began to improve. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Felipe Massa stormed to his first podium finish since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix with 2nd behind eventual race winner Sebastian Vettel.

Felipe Massa’s podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday was only the Brazilian driver’s second of the season, in comparison to team-mate Fernando Alonso’s thirteenth. It was also Massa’s first return to the podium at Interlagos since his bittersweet Brazilian Grand Prix victory in 2008, after he lost the Championship battle to Lewis Hamilton. These combined stats made for an emotional appearance from Felipe Massa, who was struggling to fight back the tears on the rostrum.

“I think the second part of the year was the preparation for next year.” Explained Felipe Massa, “It’s such an emotion to race here. I think the race was really fantastic. For sure, it could have been a better position than what I finished but anyway I didn’t know what to say. Just crying and I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to feel, it was so amazing.”

Despite the season-long rumors linking many other drivers to Felipe Massa’s seat at Maranello, the Scuderia decided to retain the Brazilian driver for one more season. This will see Fernando Alonso once again parter Felipe Massa in 2013, as the two continue to strive for supremacy. If Felipe Massa can start 2013 as he ended 2012, then a victory could only be just around the corner. This would amazingly be his first victory since the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.

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