Massa back in top form

As someone who did a lot of Massa bashing in the past, I am extremely happy to see him back and performing well (at least at the first test). Best to him.

 

I'm glad to see Massa back in the car and on top of the time sheets. Granted it is only testing so the times are always up for debate, however to just be competitive after the accident last year shows lots of promise for this year. Hopefully Massa and Alonso can work as a team regardless of who shows to be the stronger driver.

Forza Massa! Forza Ferrari!

 

Am I the only one who noticed Massa is the only one who completed over 100 laps (by a HUGE margin over the next guy).

Nobody knows all the conditions of the testing... different compounds, high fuel, low fuel, new tire, old degraded tire...

I'm not holding my breath for anything before 1/2 way through march.

I hope Ferrari do well... but well... I hope Schumacher does better

 

I guess he crashed so much the last 2 years that somehow Kimi finished ahead of him? Sure after the accident caused by another team Kimi was finally...finally able to pass him in points.

He proved the last 2 yrs with the so called 'iceman' there is no iceman and Kimi is by no means a better driver in a Ferrari. In fact Kimi is #2 easily to FM. Why fire Felipe when he performs. A sound management call to say the least.


The team and the press say FA is NOT 1 at all. He has much more to prove as a Ferrari driver than FM. The onus is on FA. I guess FM has to keep his standards up to prove yet again he needs to prove nothing.

I said many times his fight to the title with LH might have been a fluke. It wasnt as last year proved he could drive in the wet(china, kimi spun more-good practice for a JUNIOR rallye team seat I guess) and he was 22-12 over Kimi in points before the spring knocked him out.

Felipe is about as complete as a driver can be and not be MS or Senna. What he does lack in talent he makes up for in work ethic, and simple, enduring drive. Most drivers wish they could be in red and be Felipe. He needs to prove nothing else. His consistent record over Kimi is a decent legacy with no title. Kimi was fired for simply not being worth the money they wasted on him. Felipe has an amazing ROI.

FA has alot to work for. If he doesnt absolutely wipe the floor with Felipe then what do we say. Felipe held his own and outperformed the vaunted Kimi for more than 2 years. That is a fact and he has done his job for a respected place in history. Kimi on the other hand out priced himself and was outperformed by a driver who supposedly is mid field??? Thats pretty funny given the stats and history of recent note on Felipe.

 

I'll give you that one. I do believe he did well against a mostly not sufficiently motivated Kimi. It made him look like the hard worker with a true heart for the team. So the love goes the other way as well. However, this year there will be no excuses, and if the F10 is good enough to give both Massa and Alonso a shot at the title, it will become very hot in the Ferrari kitchen. I can see Martin Whitmarsh smiling already.

 

Let's not forget that the only thing between Massa and the title in '08 was that botched pit stop in Singapore, which had nothing to do with him.

 

Now you're being too kind to Massa. Another way of looking at it is, that he would have scored the title without his self inflicted accidents and incidents earlier in the season.

Everybody has bad luck. Some loose an engine, some endure a fumbled pit stop.

I think it won't come to that. For one I strongly believe Alonso will simply outdrive/outscore Massa. Secondly I don't think the Ferrari will play a role in the WDC decision. That will be between Vettel, Hamilton and Schumacher (in that order).

Anyway, vinuneuro brings up a good point: If the harmony between Massa/Alonso continues there is a good chance the Scuderia will extend his contract again. He is doing a great job as #2, no need to change that.

 

Exactly. He hasn't earned his stripes yet, but he has shown some serious potential. I for one will be watching to see what he does with it this year.

 

Have to agree here too. I am thrilled that Felipe is top of the board two days in a row, but let's not forget that these are just the first two test days. Performing well here looks great, but doesn't carry any points. Besides, we're really only talking about shakedown laps here. Let's not open the champagne till we've seen everyone pulling out all the stops.

 

This Massa lovefest is like watching the Olympics coverage on NBC -leaves me secretly wishing Dick Ebersol had died in that plane crash- but at the same time I'm just happy to vomit profusely. I'm glad Massa not only lived but seems to have returned to F1 in great form and I wish him all the best in the future. But, he was never WDC material and never will be one. Ferrari did everything conveivable to get him there but he failed. Game over.

 

Did they? Seems to me they left a fuel hose attached........I guess those championship points were throwaways?

 

Some people said the same thing about Button not being WDC material and yet he is. Maybe Massa crashing in the rain is because he is trying too hard and fighting for every point. I do believe its going to be a big fight with Alonso as Alonso is a more consistent driver, not necessarily better but consistent which is what wins championships.

I am anxious to see what Alonso does tomorrow in testing and I am rooting for Massa to teach Alonso a few things about driving, since its debatable that is going to happen, I am rooting for Schumi for WDC, Alonso can come in dead last and I will still be happy.

 

Six of seven drivers completed more than 100 laps.


Unofficial Tuesday test times from Valencia:
1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:11.722, 124 Laps
2. Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber, 1:12.056, 96 Laps
3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 1:12.256, 108 Laps
4. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:12.426, 119 Laps
5. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:12.899, 119 Laps
6. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1:13.377, 102 Laps
7. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:13.823, 107 Laps

 

Unfortunately that door has now closed for Massa. All one has to do is to count the number of Santander logos on the cars.

 

I was just wondering what happened to all the conspiracy theorists from last year who were saying that Massa's head injury ended his career and that he'd never be in an F1 car again as his injury was more serious than the PR machine was letting on.

Now that I think about it, where are the people who claimed Schu would never be back because his neck was jelly and the injury was more serious than the PR machine was letting on?

I laugh at the guys who make comments like that and present them as fact....but I don't argue with them...I just wait, and then laugh some more.

 

I was one, but my view had nothing to do with the so called PR machine. His injury looked pretty bad from where I am, and to be fast you need absolute confidence ... and also we've had one single test. I'm waiting to see how he races to see if hes really ready or not.

Well in this case I was hooked in by the PR machine that told us he quit from driving Massa's car because of his supposed neck injury. My bad, I should know by now to never believe the media. The real reason appears to be that the F60 was a piece of **** and MS did not want to drive it.

Lets get a few races in before we decide how Massa and MS go.

Pete

 

Massa's condition will have to be proven in real world at this point. He looks to be on track but a lot has happened that would make most a little gun shy.

 

In that case laugh right at the face of Dr. Johannes Peil, Head of the special clinic for sports medicine in Bad Neuheim, Germany. And a bunch of other medical experts who said racing again would be suicidal.

So either all these doctors are fools or Schumi did a great acting job at the press conference in Geneva where he announced the retreat from the comeback.

Feel free to laugh at me too for reporting it. Must be really neat to be smarter than everybody else.

 

no no no....you see you've gone all defensive. i never made claims one way or the other about them because I had no clue.....just like a few of you by the sound of it. So, if I'm smarter it's only because I made no comments.

unlike some, if i don't know something I just shut up.

just like your other post earlier about Vettel v Schumacher. Personally, I don't care who's faster, but to claim "He'll show that the Kaiser is wearing no clothes..." is a bit dumb don't you think? First, you don't know a thing, again, and second if Vettel IS faster what does it prove? Different car for a start....you can't possibly compare.

All I'm saying is some of you 'experts' just need to accept that, like me, you know nothing, so just sit back and enjoy the show.

All I hope is that all the drivers are fit and healthy and do well so that we can make the most of a close and competitive season. The stupid rumours are getting old real fast.

 

In that case why bother with this forum?




...and: How do you pass the time to Bahrain?

Steve McQueen was quite right: Only racing is life, the time in between is just waiting.

 

oh don't get me wrong...i love reading it...if for no other reason than to giggle at the 'experts'

 

While you giggle, I'll enjoy the beers I won. Sometimes even a couch "expert" gets it right...

 

yep.....just today I told 50% of the people I saw that it'll rain today, and the other 50% that it won't.

If i make enough claims I'm bound to be right sometimes.

anyway...enough said.

 

Back to the topic... Massa rules!