Massa had a good day today..l hopefully the hard tire strategy pays off tomorrow.. Anything but Vettle!!!!
What's interesting is that such a failure no longer stirs up much comments anymore from either side. It's like everybody has accepted that this is how it is. Every year, every race.
For me this is no longer a case of "I told you so". I just hope he will get replaced. Some day, some year. Please Ferrari, please.
Until I understand why they've kept him this long I can't predict when, why or if they'll replace him. If we all agree to never talk of it and pretend he never existed can ferrari replace him without admitting the shame?
I thought you people said Massa wasn't any good in a car. Yet you seem to think he pulled a handbrake turn on purpose. Oh, wait: we know at least the Marussias don't have handbrakes. Do you really think Massa could have made the car do that without the car doing it on its own? Why wait for facts, when your prejudice is made up? Massa is F1's Zimmerman, around here.
Gearbox....as evidenced in the race. He wound up spinning opposite he would have normally. Looked like a classic gearbox problem immediately. From PF1 Massa: The car was stuck in fifth | Planet F1 | Formula One | News, Standings, Results, Features, Video Massa: The car was stuck in fifth Sunday 7th July 2013 PlanetF1.com Massa: The car was stuck in fifth Felipe Massa says it wasn't his spin that put him out of the German GP, rather it was the fact that his car was stuck in fifth. The Ferrari driver's Sunday afternoon at the Nurburgring was over almost before it began as he spun off the track at Turn One on lap three. Massa appeared to stall and climbed out of his car calling it a day but later revealed that his F138 was actually stuck in fifth gear, making it impossible for him to pull away. "I braked at the straight and locked the rear wheels," the 32-year-old said. "The car went sidewards to the right and then I corrected and it went sideways to the left. "I stopped the car and was in fifth gear and tried to go down to first to get out but the gear was not going down. I was stuck in fifth gear. "I tried to get out but the engine stopped, went out because it is difficult to leave in fifth gear. It just was not possible." And although the Brazilian's grand prix was a short one, he still got to experience the revised Pirelli tyres which he reckons made little difference to the order of things. "I see Red Bull were competitive in qualifying and in the race and Lotus was competitive as well, in the race more than in qualifying. "Mercedes were very competitive in qualifying, a bit less for the race as when it gets a bit hot they suffer a lot more and use more of the tyres. "We were more or less there, the car was not so bad on this track so I think maybe the Red Bulls were a bit stronger than us and the Lotus as well. "But I don't think it [the tyres] changed so much, I don't think it was a bit thing."
No, driver error. He said it himself in your article, he spun. The stuck gear ended his race, but before that he spun.
That is not what I get from the article. He locked the rear wheels because the gearbox was stuck in fifth.
English is my 3rd language but what I get from the article is he spun 1st(driver error and/or going over his limit) and then the gear was stuck. And this has happened several times in the last few races... maybe he was pushing too hard ???? The stats don't look so good
No official statement from the team so far. Did he spin because of the gearbox or was the gearbox screwed up after the spin? Point is, it's Massa too often.
The statement makes it seem like the spin happened first, then Massa found it stuck in 5th after the spin. But, what's odd to me is how he would have spun it in 5th. Speculation/ It seems more logical to me that the box locked under breaking, otherwise it SHOULD have been in a lower gear when it spun given how close he was to the corner. /Speculation Mark
That was my impression as well. The lock up seemed classic gearbox failure. We shall see later I guess.
+1 His engine could blow up, his gearbox quit or a wheel fall off and it would *still* all be his fault. Cheers, Ian
Agree...Massa exctes me Alonso sends me to sleep...If Ferrari hadn't had such a strange strategy for the race, Massa had a chance at pole........In the last few races he has had the measure of Alonso and if allowed I can see him trouncing him....Massa is a RACER...whilst Alonso is a tactician.......They make a very good team....Stop knocking Massa and give credit where its due......Ferrari wouldn't keep him if they didnt rate him........Rant over......
