Mark Blundell: Massa To Be Serious 2008 Title Contender

There is nothing unfortunate about Massa being a #2 driver, it is a perfectly natural outcome

Furhtermore, given that Rubens was closer in performance to Schumacher during his years as #2 than Massa, and that Rubens twice finished #2 in the title chase, winning more races, poles and fastest laps than Massa in the process, I would have to say that Rubens was a far, far better #2 than Massa.

 

Rubens was a very fast No.2. Remember when he was so fast at Indy he couldn't whoa her down for that side by side finish?

 

I agree with you on all of these points, but if we all know this it stands to reason that Massa/Ferrari also know it too. I compare Massa to Nicky Hayden in MotoGP. Every year Hayden made improvements to his skills in various areas: one year it was qualifying, the next rain riding, the next conserving the tires. It paid off for him in 2006.

I would bet that Massa is working on his weak points. Consistency between tracks in particular is something that experience will help. Maturity often also reduces the errors. As for rain, it depends on whether you beleive they are made or born, but everyone can improve. I don't think he has peaked yet.

 

I believe Massa has a chance to win it all but you seem to think that Alonshole will finish in front of Massa. You wanna bet on that? Ive got $100 that says Massa will finish ahead of Alonso.

 

Done.

 

He's been in F1 since 2002. How much more experience does he have to have?!?

Hamilton was taking pole position on tracks he had never driven on in his life, what the hell can Massa's excuse possibly be?

 

We are on then.

 

Yep.

Good luck...you're going to need it

 

An interesting bet I'd say.

Alonso vs Massa in the same car is a no brainer, but I wouldn't necessarily think Alonso could beat him in a Renault that has seen little development for an entire year. That could be a struggle. Maybe Alonso starts off slowly and as the year progresses develops the Renault to the point where it can beat a Ferrari. We'll see.

 

I was thinking the samething, except now with the lack of TC, we will see the outcome. If it rains a lot, than Massa will be lucky to even finish in the top 5. Too bad Vettel is not in the second Ferrari, no jokes about the Toro Rosso having a Ferrari engine.

 

Im laughing too....Hey it will make it more interesting this year I want the $100 bill that you send me to be a new one from the bank. In the unlikely event that you win...would you like a Canadian (could be worth a lot more by then) or an American bill?

 

How can you guys look at Massa's qualifying and finishing record and seriously think he can't be a title contender? In terms of qualifying, he's not exactly slower than Kimi (arguably better). His race pace is similar.

He's a "good" (not great) racer and mediocre in the wet. He was only 16 points adrift Kimi at the end of last year, and that's with letting Kimi pass on a few tracks. Realistically the gap is probably more like 12 points. How can he not be considered a contender?

 

I'll take a hundie that Hamilton finishes in front of Massa, if you want some more action

 

Im sure you will

 

Amazing how widespread that impression is ... all based on the '06 Hungarian GP, where the Bstones sucked. Six of the ten Bstone cars failed to finish at all. The top Bstone finisher was Ralf, who started sixth, had two cars ahead of him drop out, and finished ... sixth -- effectively dropping two places. The only driver who managed anything at all with those tires was Schumi ... who still wound up finishing ninth, in the pits (elevated to eighth after Kubica was DQ'd). The team switched Massa from intermeds to wets to inters to drys at mostly the wrong times.

Despite that, he finished eighth (7th) -- ahead of Schumi, and just behind Ralf who switched to drys 12 laps before the team finally got Massa off the abysmal Bstone inters. Massa only had 10 laps on drys to make up for the poor performance of the Bstone intermed tires. Most of the other runners were put on drys about ten laps earlier - eight laps after Ferrari put inters on Massa's car. Massa was the victim of bad pit timing and poor wet tires.

In Germany '07, when everyone was on spec tires, Massa grabbed a spot from Alonso at the start (on inters), and gave up nothing to Alonso throughout the floods that tossed half a dozen drivers -- including Hamilton -- off the track. Only on his last, flawed, set of intermeds did Massa finally get passed by Alonso. Even then, Massa held off the clearly faster car for so long that Alonso was furious about it.

About the worst thing you can justifiably say about Massa's wet performance is that -- maybe -- he might have unbalanced that last set of tires himself, trying to leave the pits too quickly. And there isn't really anything but speculation to support that, either.

What you can say is that Massa on bad tires can't out-drive Alonso on good tires --- well, at least, not forever.

I can't wait for the first wet race without traction control. Those who will watch the race instead of their prejudices will see what happens then. I suspect that Massa is going to surprise a lot of doubters.

 

Massa is a good racer not a great racer as you said yourself. He is fighting against 3 great racers. Yes, he has a chance at the title if his Ferrari is vastly superior to the McLaren and the Renault AND Kimi is out of it due to an injury. Only in that scenario.

 

I don't care enough about Massa to go through all the statistics of past races, but he was never a revelation in the wet. Unlike Hamilton and Alonso and to some degree Kimi.

He had more bad wet races than "just" Hungary 06, where he sucked so bad, that his teammate lapped him. Nuerburgring 07 wasn't great either conceding victory to Alonso. That particular maneuvre cost him a lot of support from his Paulista fans who said somebody like Senna would have not let that victory slip through his fingers. Well Massa is no Senna.

Some quote the Japanese GP 07 as proof that he can drive in the rain. While his last few laps with Kubica were entertaining, they really don't proove much: He got nothing to loose at that point, he was racing against a 3rd placed (in the WCC) BMW and Kubica, who isn't that great in the wet to begin with (remember Turkey 06?). And that after Massa spun out multiple times in the same race and was saved only by the concrete run off areas.

Great drivers like Senna, Schumacher, Alonso and Hamilton are consistently good in the wet. Massa is consistently mediocre in the rain.

 

Massa is quick and there is nothing wrong with his skill in the rain. Kimi is quicker and F supports the no. 1. Massa is a perfect team-mate for Kimi. Massa's Q speed is very often part of team strategy. Big difference between Massa and Kimi is that Kimi can deliver when the pressure is on

 

I tend to think this is my line of thought , but I dont like the idea of a #1 driver from the start.

 

I have a horrible feeling that Kimi will not do good without TC.

55 days to go

 

Quite the opposite: Kimi has some of the best car control of the grid, if not simply the best. No TC will play into his hands when almost everybody else will be struggling with it.

 

Those guys are nuts !
Massa passes the "driving in the rain" test.
One more test to go ; "driving in the rain without traction control"
Lets hope everyone gets to take it.

 

No he doesn't. As pointed out below.

 

Last year he was only 16 points adrift. That is reasonably close. Certainly close enough to be considered a "contender".