Ferrari, Massa: “A track where I have always been fast and competitive”

They say that a week's break in the Formula 1 calendar isn't ideal if you've achieved a good result: in fact, you don't have the time needed to enjoy what you've achieved. But the few days between two GPs may not pass quickly enough after a bad race, as the desire to change things is strong.

Felipe Massa clearly fell into this last category this afternoon during the meeting with journalists in the Scuderia Ferrari hospitality unit inside the Hungaroring paddock. An afternoon in which drops of rain fell, a probable sign of another weekend full of uncertainty regarding weather conditions. The particular accident in which Felipe was involved on this track dates back four years ago, but it still seems to be the first subject to be asked when the Brazilian driver arrives in the Hungarian capital: “It was a difficult moment in my life and in my career, but nothing has changed in my mind when the time comes to race here,” began Felipe. “I don't think about it when I reach that point on the track, and since I don't remember anything about the accident, there's basically nothing for me to think about. What I remember is that this is a track where I like to race and where I have always been fast and competitive. But something always happened. Even in 2008, I had the victory in my pocket but I had to stop with three laps to go. As for this year, I just want 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 after the accident the people here seem to have more affection for me, which gives me more motivation to do well."

A question about Pirelli tires brings the conversation back to current events: “So far the tires haven't proved too difficult for us, even if in some races there is greater degradation compared to other GPs,” said the Ferrari driver. “In general, the tires perform much better than last year. Now we don't see as many pit stops as before. The focus now is much more on the car than on the tyres, and we have improved our car a lot since the start of the year. Our aim is to continue to improve the F2012 during the rest of the season, especially from an aerodynamic point of view."

Massa's difficult start to the season means that the Drivers' Ranking is not his main priority. Helping his teammate and the team is his first concern: “A clean race is what matters and that would help Fernando a lot, just as it would help me and the team. They are completely out of contention for the title fight, but Fernando has a good advantage, even though there are still many races to go. I will do my best to be at the front, to try to win and also help Fernando for the Championship in the best way possible. Having said that, my goal is still the same, to try to beat Fernando and all the other drivers. This is what I expect when I race and this is what every driver must do, try to win. But if I found myself leading a race and Fernando was behind me, I would know what to do, because I am a professional driver. And it would be like this in every team." The Brazilian driver is equally clear on the last topic on the agenda, namely his own future, "I want to stay in Formula 1, but it must be in a situation where I am here in the Circus to race, not just to participate", he concluded Felipe. “If for any reason I didn't have the possibility to stay in Ferrari, then I would look for a solution to continue racing. The small teams? I'm not interested".