Felipe Massa was in dire need of a good start to the 2012 season, given his poor recent form and the obvious question marks hanging over his future.
Alas his year got off to a terrible start after he beached his car in the gravel in Friday practice, qualified 16th, and crashed out of the race.
In fact the Brazilian looked like he might turn things around on Sunday when he jumped up to 10th at the start. However, almost immediately he began suffering with tyre issues, to the extent that he had to make three pit stops – although the last was at least under the safety car.
“The start was great, I passed many cars,” said Massa. “I don’t know to be honest how many, but I passed many cars. It was very positive for the race, but then after five laps I was suffering completely on the rear tyres, just sliding around every corner, and none of the other tyres were using tyres, just me.
“I was struggling completely with the balance of the car, not just talking about the race but every day, the whole weekend. We need to understand why. Everybody was doing many laps with the soft, with the medium, I couldn’t do many laps. I was driving even very smoothly, not to use [the tyres], because I knew it was not very easy to do two stops. And it was not possible.”
Massa’s race came to an end when he collided with Bruno Senna, who had climbed up from last after a first lap clash. The stewards subsequently agreed that it was a racing incident.
“One car from Toro Rosso tried to brake on the left side at corner three, and I did the corner in front. Bruno had a chance to have a good turn-in because I was fighting with the other car, and then he was able to have a good line to put the car on my side, but on the outside. And then we both did the corner to the left, he was to the outside and I was completely to the inside.
“I turned, he went a little bit early and he turned a little bit too much, we touched each other. For me it was something that can happen in a race. From my side there was nothing wrong because I was on the inside. At the end of the race, trying to fight for the position, you cannot say it was completely wrong.”
Adam Cooper F1 
Hi there Adam, in reply to this blog and the previous one on Domenicali’s view that Ferrari need to improve speed and traction as well as helping Massa over come his troubles and understanding of the car.
This reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend where it got suggested that, whilst it looks clear that Massa might well move on after this season, with Ferrari’s poor start and poor car that Alonso seem to be doing something positive with. Could they replace Massa mid season with Robert Kubica, providing he gets some testing in the car.
It’s highly likely that it won’t come to tuition, but the thought of Kubica in a Ferrari excites me and it could well happen for the start of the 2013 season.
Any reply from you with your thoughts would be appreciated immensly, as you are the guy in the know.
Yours sincerely, Jonathan Holmes.
Translation of Massa comments: “I can’t set up the car and my race craft leaves something to be desired.”