Massa: A place I have always been quick and competitive

They say that a one week break in the F1 calendar is bad if you’ve just had a good result, because you have no time to enjoy it, but the few days in between cannot go quick enough after a bad race, as you are keen to turn things around. So clearly, Felipe Massa was in the latter category, when he faced the media in the Scuderia Ferrari hospitality unit in the Hungaroring paddock this afternoon, an afternoon when drops of rain were falling, possibly heralding another uncertain weekend. The Brazilian’s bizarre accident at this track took place four years ago now, but still it seems to be the first topic he is asked to discuss when he gets to the Hungarian capital. “It was a difficult moment in my life and in my career, but it does not change anything in my mind when it comes to racing here again,” began Felipe. “I don’t think about it as I go through that point on the track and in fact, as I don’t remember the accident itself, there is nothing for me to think about. What I do recall is that this is a place where I love to race and where I have always been quick and competitive. But always, something happened. Even in 2008, I had victory in my pocket but I had to stop three laps from the end. So for this year, I just want to have a clean weekend and if we can do that, then I think I can have a great race. I like this place, I like the people and since the accident, the people here seem to have developed more love for me and that gives me even more reason to do well.”

A question about the Pirelli tyres brought the conversation back to the present day. “The tyres were not too tricky for us so far, even if some races you see more degradation than at others,” said the Ferrari man. “Generally, the tyres behave much better than last year. Now, we don’t see so many pit stops as before. The concentration is now much more on the car than the tyres and we have improved our car a lot since the start of the year. Our target is to continue with improving the car throughout the rest of the season, especially on the aerodynamics front.”

Massa’s well chronicled difficult start to the season means the Drivers’ classification is not his main priority. Instead, helping his team-mate and the team are his main concern. “Me having a clean race is what counts and that will help Fernando a lot, as well as helping myself and the team. I am completely outside the fight for the title, but Fernando has a good margin out in front, even if there are a lot of races to go. I will do the best I can to be at the front end, to try to win but also to help Fernando the best I can for the championship. Having said that, my aim has always to be the same, to try and beat Fernando and every other driver. That’s what I look forward to when I drive and it’s what any race driver must do, trying to win the race. But if the situation ever arose that I was leading a race and Fernando was behind me, I would know what to do, because I am a professional driver. And that would be the situation in any team.” The Brazilian was equally clear on the final topic on today’s agenda, namely his own future. “I want to stay in Formula 1, but it has to be in a situation where I am in Formula 1 to race, not just to participate,” concluded Felipe. “If for whatever reason, I don’t have the chance to stay in Ferrari, then I will try and find a direction where I can race. But otherwise, small teams? I’m not interested.”