Felipe Massa says he is not happy having failed to score in the last thee races:
For sure I am not happy like I suppose I should be. The beginning of the season was not like I expected. The first few races were OK, we had two podiums, and then we didn’t have good races.
Especially in the last three races I had three races in the row where something has happened during the race, and I could not score points. And you are there, in a good position, and suddenly you are completely last because something has happened.
This was the case in Canada, with the accident at the first corner, it was the case in Valencia, with the safety car we had and we just just lost the race because of this, and also because of the race in Silverstone where I had the tyres issue and went from fifth to completely last.
So, for sure, these things are not nice but it gives me more motivation to keep pushing and looking for a good result in the next race.
Felipe Massa
He believes his problems are largely to do with getting the tyres up to temperature in qualifying:
It was not the first time I had this problem. I had this problem in Barcelona and in Melbourne. This year we have some very hard tyres, I think in some races we have the most hard tyres and these tyres are difficult to make work. It’s difficult to put [heat] in the tyres when they’re very hard and some of the tracks are a little bit cold and the asphalt is not very abrasive.
I was always struggling in the qualifying to get the tyres to the right temperature. Often I was good in some of the races where I’d struggled in qualifying. But that is the main issue, to have the tyres at the right temperature and get the right grip from the start of qualifying. If you don’t have that you are struggling and you cannot do the lap time you want.
Felipe Massa
However he’s happy with the development of the F10 in recent races and expects to score points this weekend:
In the last two races we brought some new parts to the car which I think was a good improvement. I think we made a step forward and we have a competitive car compared to some other races. And I think this is important to keep up a big motivation that the car is growing and I hope that even for the next race we have a better car to fight to be the quickest on the track.
Felipe Massa
2010 German Grand Prix
Chalky (@chalky)
21st July 2010, 17:09
It wouldn’t be a Massa quote without a few “For sure”‘s. :D
BasCB
21st July 2010, 17:15
It can hardly get worse, so if the car works as they expect and he does not have a driver skills blackout, he should at least be good for a top 8 finish.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
21st July 2010, 17:42
Some similar remarks from his blog:
Frankly I wouldn’t blame it all on bad luck. Massa often plays with fire on the first lap and sometimes he gets his fingers burnt. He was lucky he didn’t take his team mate out at Silverstone.
sumedh
21st July 2010, 18:10
On the other hand, I will say Alonso was lucky to not suffer any damage as he mercilessly pushed his team-mate on the grass after causing his puncture.
Massa hasn’t been driving well, no doubt, but he has had some bad luck which have stopped him from scoring even meager points.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
21st July 2010, 18:43
Are you talking about the exit of Chapel? That was Massa pushing Alonso off.
Massa got his puncture in contact with Alonso at Becketts – a move which was clearly Massa’s fault.
sumedh
21st July 2010, 21:51
Massa got a puncture on the left-hander turn 4 (Becketts is the right-hander turn 5, right?)
He had the inside line, Alonso just swung himself to the left and hit Massa.
And inspite of the contact, Massa came ahead, had his first wobble on the following right-hander (Becketts) and stayed ahead of Alonso through Chapel and Hangar straight.
In my mind, it is Alonso’s fault.
Todfod
22nd July 2010, 10:21
Did anyone find an onboard video of either massa or alonso on the 1st lap of the British GP?
Adam Tate
22nd July 2010, 11:20
Alonso shouldn’t have dropped that far back in the first place. A good result from qualifying only to muck it up and get in his team mate’s way. A double WDC should be better than that. Massa’s been a little off, but you can’t say he hasn’t had some bad luck lately.
Ed
23rd July 2010, 1:23
wasn’t that contact with the front wheel though? Massa’s puncture was the rear wheel.
From watching the race live, I thought his puncture came much later on, because he held his position (ahead of Rosberg) until the new section of track.
bosyber
21st July 2010, 18:31
I hope he just calls it bad luck publicly while privately deciding to be a bit more careful in the first lap as a cure instead.
But I mainly hope he, and Ferrari, can finally get a decent race weekend again, with luck, if they need that, but maybe also with some better sense and strategy. The championship needs it.
DaveW
21st July 2010, 20:12
He hit Luizzi three times in succession in Canada, after making his car the sandwich in a trio going into turn 1. That was some serious GP2/Indycar hackery.
Steph90 (@steph90)
21st July 2010, 20:43
Massa had nowhere to go at canada except into Button while Liuzzi was all over the kerbs and went into him. Massa continued to hit him but I viewed that as him simply trying to face the right way again as he couldn’t reverse at that point. He’s made mistakes this year but I don’t see what else he could have done at Canada to avoid Liuzzi. Massa was the one ahead and didn’t steer into him or anything outrageous
Ed
21st July 2010, 20:47
Furthermore, Liuzzi left him very little room at Turn 2, considering Massa was going to have trouble steering.
David-A (@david-a)
21st July 2010, 21:28
@DaveW- Liuzzi was passed by Massa at the start, and then the Force India dived up the inside of Massa, hit his sidepod and broke his front wing. An overly optimistic move on Liuzzi’s part.
Then, as Ed rightfully pointed out, Liuzzi couldn’t even be bothered to leave enough room for someone who was going to understeer because of the damage he clearly inflicted!
RaulZ
22nd July 2010, 10:22
Everybody plays with fire in the first lap, but if it works then everybody says how good and aggressive drivers they are. If they fail then everybody says they are unconscious and bad drivers…
Definitelly I usually call it being lucky or unlucky. They just risk, and if you don’t have the best car, you have to risk and play with luck.
Ivan Vinitskyy
21st July 2010, 18:07
Somehow I’m happy he didn’t win the championship in 2008.
1. Whines too much because he doesn’t adapt well to the car.
2. Not as quick as at least 5 other current f1 drivers.
3. Lost consistency he had in 2008.
Blaming luck is silly, especially when he goes out to find trouble.
bosyber
21st July 2010, 18:32
But look at Button, maybe if Massa had won, he too would be better and more confident now.
RaulZ
22nd July 2010, 10:29
I hamilton hadn’t pass glock before last curve he would had won the championship in spite of everything you say.
I think he wold be a fair winner, and the rest is just what you think about him.
Flippy PK
21st July 2010, 18:42
At Canada, Massa attempted a very lucrative move on Liuzzi, which might have worked, if Jenson Button gave Massa more room. I’m not saying it’s Button’s fault; I think Massa had to pull off that move if he wanted to catch up and beat Alonso. Massa made a very good recovery, however, but his ‘bad luck’ caught up to Michael Schumacher who had a horrible race.
At Valencia, the Safety Car was not his fault.
At Silverstone, Massa and Alonso were both to blame.
The way I see it, the last few races Massa is trying to be more aggressive so Alonso won’t pick on him, as Alonso remembers how aggressive Hamilton was, and Massa is less, making him an easier teammate to beat. It just seems Massa’s aggressiveness is not paying off.
bosyber
21st July 2010, 19:06
Agressiveness has to go together with good timing. Someting Hamilton has shown to have mastered very well, certainly during this season, if not earlier already. For that you need to stay cool and collected while being willing to take risks and keep focus. Massa and Alonso both have lacked a bit in over the season in this respect, I feel. Not fully their fault, but something they need to address to get a good race for Ferrari.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
21st July 2010, 19:57
I think that’s probably true to an extent, though I would say that Massa has also lacked aggressiveness, especially when compared to drivers like Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel…
Steph90 (@steph90)
21st July 2010, 20:41
At Canada I think it was more Liuzzi making the dive and Massa had no room except go into Button.
As for aggressiveness he’s shown it at times Hung 08, Silv 07, Aus 07, China 09, Canada 2010 etc. etc. even if he isn’t on the same level as Alonso or Hamilton.
Flippy PK
21st July 2010, 21:32
Even so, Massa has been bested by Alonso in Bahrain and China, with Alonso’s controversial shoving of Massa into the grass. Massa knows he has to step his game up if he doesn’t want to become a number two driver to Alonso. He has to prove to Alonso he is tough so China won’t repeat itself. Due to Massa’s struggles with qualifying, he is trying to pass as many people as possible to have any chance of beating Alonso. It just so happens it is harder to overtake on the first corner, with everyone scrambling for position. I can see why Massa is taking risks, but they’re not paying off at all.
Steph90 (@steph90)
21st July 2010, 21:40
I wouldn’t say China was controversial just that Alonso was sharper
Rahzam
21st July 2010, 20:06
I wonder what has happened to Massa. I consider following points.
1. His engineer is changed who was helping him to built the car and Massa was able to beat Kimi. And now he is stuck with some engineer who was preparing Kimi’s car. Because he is exactly going like Kimi now.
2. He lost his mind in Accident :). Not exactly, but an off season has damaged his skills.
3. Alonso is too superior compared to Massa which I think he is but I was not expecting this from Massa. I thought he will be able to beat Alonso more often.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
21st July 2010, 20:34
Rob Smedley has been his race engineer since 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Smedley
SPA09
21st July 2010, 21:02
I see Massas problems due to change in Q format. And therefor i doubt he can change his form now when all the fromt runners are light. It´s a bloody battle for pole.
Rob and Massa did great at Q´s but now there is no strategy changes in Q, its pedal to the metal. The fastest guy takes it!!! I like it!!
sumedh
21st July 2010, 21:40
I think you might have a valid point here.
Massa, like his mentor Schumacher, was the master of strategy.
It was strategy which made Massa look so much better than Kimi in the first half of 2009.
All of Massa’s wins have come in the re-fueling era where he would be fueled a lap or 2 lighter than the guys behind him. It allowed him to get pole, streak ahead at the start and stay ahead after the pit stops.
And now with proper no re-fueling qualifying, Massa, again like his mentor Schumacher is being caught out!!
Cacarella
21st July 2010, 22:06
Well lets see now…
Canada = Traffic and Force India
Valencia = Safety Car
Silverstone = FIA and Tire temperatures
I suppose my the next race will be…
Germany = Ferrari drivers hit each other and end both of their races.
I think that’s all that’s left right?
Butler258
21st July 2010, 22:46
Nah, the drivers already hit each other in silverstone.
Its been a while since the team has left the fuel pipe in, so im sure that’ll happen during the pitstops, some how, with band refueling, but just watch this space!
Alexi
22nd July 2010, 0:10
Indeed. Schumacher and his “little bro” weren’t all that fortunate in the last three races it seems.
DaveW
22nd July 2010, 3:11
Its going to be only 74 degrees (Fahrenheit) in Germany Sunday. So I suppose we should get ready for other people leaving Massa no choice but to crash into them multiple times as he charges from the mid-field. Also the very short lap will not help him with warming the tires.