Felipe Massa

Brilliant driver on his day but is he championship material?

In 2008 he proved he was but thats only one occassion, plus that season the Ferrari TBH was a bit quicker and won more races that season. In 2009 he nearly suffered a career ending head-injury and since coming to back to the grid he hasn't really shown that promise he did in 2008.

Don't get me wrong he's a driver i very much like, but i do wonder if he'll be a title challenger again for Ferrari season in season out or if he'll stay at Ferrari much longer?

Whats your thoughts on Massa?
 
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f-one.jpg


I'm not saying he's the greatest driver in the world, but I can't find a similar picture for Felipe.
 
I feel uncomfortable being too critical of Massa, because I don't know how much his accident has affected him overall - if at all. But he's now in much the situation Rubens used to be - stick as no.2 in a competitive team, or leave and be the no.1 in a slower team.

That's if he gets to make the choice at all, at the end of next year. A podium would be nice to see.
 
Bill Boddy said:
...Spa...
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My friend, I did.

Spa had a third car in the mix. It's a lot tougher for a racing driver to lift when you also have Hamilton's McLaren fighting in there.

It's easier when there's only the two. Like Hockenheim 2010...like Australia, Hungary and Japan this year.

The race is in a couple of hours. 2 am my time. Exciting! :)

Enjoy the Grand Prix, Bill. :friends:
 
RayInTorontoCanada said:
My friend, I did.

Spa had a third car in the mix. It's a lot tougher for a racing driver to lift when you also have Hamilton's McLaren fighting in there.

It's easier when there's only the two. Like Hockenheim 2010...like Australia, Hungary and Japan this year.

The race is in a couple of hours. 2 am my time. Exciting! :)

Enjoy the Grand Prix, Bill. :friends:
Click to expand

The third car is a red herring. Massa was doing all he could to stay in front and Alonso passed him. Admit it.
 
Galahad said:
The new front wing might not be working as well as the old one. Ferrari's 'upgrades' have been a bit unpredictable this year.
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I don't think that's the case, Alonso was much better in all the sessions, I think Felipe found something else and did a great qualifying lap and ran a good race, in the second stint was pulling away from him, but had a few bad pitstops, and Alonso was quite supreme with the laps, but you can say he had the advanatage of the front wing.

Anyway, good job by Massa today was quite disappointed with his last stint, but I loved his start! :)
 
II'm not sure it was that much a case of Massa "finding something" in his last quali lap to be honest. More a case of FA not completing his at all, having probably made a mistake somewhere. We didn't see him start his lap but we know he immediately headed back to the pits.
 
He was 8 tenths off the leader's pace in Q2 and a full seccond behind in Q3 so rather than finding some pace he actually lost it...
 
But Alonso didn't post a time at all on his final super-softs in Q3"! How can you claim Massa "found something

Then again I suppose it's only the final results that count. Massa qualified in front of alonso. Doesn't matter how I guess....
 
KekeTheKing said:
Nice of Lew to "apologize" for "tricking" poor old Phil though huh? LOL
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I personally was thrilled with Lewis's move on Felipe in his second race, but at the time was suprised by his comment at the post race interview regarding tricking Felipe, which too me showed a lack of maturity on Hamilton's part.
 
I think I've said elsewhere in this or another thread that my daughter and I once rooted (excuse the unintentional pun) for Felipe as we saw, especially in his Sauber days, a huge potential and a really nice bloke.

[Before I continue please note that whilst I have been somewhat unkind to him in my recent satirical pieces in Rootersport, I want to make it clear that those pieces are just that. I intend to rib just about everyone I can in those pieces regardless of how good, nice, etc. they are. So, no lasting offence intended.]

Unfortunately, Felipe is not in a very good place right now. Mentally he is distracted and fragile yet there has been little real attention paid to why this is other than to apportion responsibility upon Lewis Hamilton for this malaise. If their recent statements are anything to go by, I think Ferrari management have been totally irresponsible in this regard. They appear to be neglecting Felipe's education with regard to his driving errors, allowing him to think it's not his problem. The result is that he is not learning from his mistakes and his attitude to Hamilton is festering.

This is so sad. I want to see the Massa who, up until the Hungary accident, was getting closer to the peak of his game. I just think it's too late. Having that victory in Germany, on the anniversary of that horrific accident, taken away by his own team must also have been unspeakably demoralising, particularly as it spelt the death knell for his 2010 championship challenge.

Psychologically such things are incredibly harmful and it seems to me that all this has been compounded by the clashes with Lewis and his own errors on track. Over the past few months we have been hearing over and over that Lewis Hamilton is in a bad place and needs some extra TLC. Where, I wonder has been the clamour for Felipe to receive the same attention and support. Those around him seem to be in denial, blissfully unaware that anything is wrong.

Please!!! Someone give the poor guy some help! If getting him away from Ferrari is the answer, then someone should step in and do that. Otherwise it will be too late.
 
Fenderman said:
Please!!! Someone give the poor guy some help! If getting him away from Ferrari is the answer, then someone should step in and do that. Otherwise it will be too late.
Click to expand

I am sure that's the best medicine...

As Felipe fan, and ex-Ferrari fan, it pains me to see him like this. Unfortunate with his accident and with the driver change in 2010. The team that helped him up has seemingly in my opnion, destroyed him.

Being asked to concede a race victory for a team mate has to be one of the most psychologically destructive events to happen to a racing driver.
 

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