Massa: I was worried about renewing my contract

Felipe Massa is a veteran of the Finali Mondiali, having been part of the Ferrari family since the 2002 season and no way was he going to miss this year’s. The umpteenth transatlantic crossing brought Felipe to Europe, just a week after the end of the 2012 Championship and by tonight, the Brazilian will be back on a plane to his native Sao Paolo.

“It’s always nice taking part in events like this one,” said Felipe when he met the press at the Cheste circuit. “To see so many Ferraris on track is very exciting, even if it’s definitely not the first time for me!”

Naturally, Felipe also spoke of the championship that ended last weekend with his second podium finish of the season, coming in front of his home crowd. “In the first half of the year, I was worried about renewing my contract,” he said. I did not think that Ferrari would really wait right to the end of the summer before deciding on the driver line-up for next year. It’s true that ever since I’ve been at Maranello, there have always been rumours about me: already in my first year there was a list of drivers who were supposed to take my place and it was the same this year, with a lot of names and plenty of speculation. At the start, I paid too much attention to these things, but then, in August, I told myself I should only think about racing and having fun and so I began to really drive, to have the right feeling with the car and to drive as quickly as I know how. Now I feel very strong and the results were there to see in the last nine races: so I am optimistic for the future, mine and Ferrari’s.”