Felipe Massa: “I want to find the best car…”

Felipe Massa insists that he wants to find a competitive seat for 2014, and doesn’t want to be in F1 just make up the numbers.

Massa has been linked with Lotus, in effect making for a straight swap with Kimi Raikkonen, although there is a lot of competition for the drive.

“We are talking with some teams,” said the Brazilian in Singapore today. “I hope we find the best direction for me. I know I have a lot to do, still. I want to find a good car, as I’ve said many times I’m not interested to be part of F1 just to be there on the grid, just to be there on the picture. I want to be there for the good opportunity, to fight for the best results possible. Starting the race just to be there on the grid, I’m not interested.

“I want to find the best car, I want to be in the best opportunity to fight for victory, to fight for the championship, and to fight for the best for me. That’s what I’m looking for, so I hope we can find this direction. We’re trying everything I can, and I know I have a lot to give to a team, to the drivers as competitors on the track, that’s what I’m looking for.”

Massa is hoping to end this season on a high.

“I think the expectations are always to try to do the best that I can in these last seven races. I think I had a fantastic career together with Ferrari for a long time. It’s part of my story. The most years of my career were with Ferrari, so eight years as an official driver, but also a few years as a young driver.

“I lived in Ferrari in 2003, I was going every day to the team, to the track, so I know everybody who is working there. I have a lot of friends inside the team. So I want to finish in the best way possible these seven races. I will try the best I can to have the best result. A victory will be fantastic, to finish these seven races. I always push very hard for that.”

Meanwhile Massa was asked about a comment he made in Brazil to the effect that he will be driving for himself until the end of the season, and chose to answer in a jokey manner, no surprise given that Fernando Alonso and Stefano Domenicali were sitting alongside: “About Fernando, I don’t help Fernando for sure, I never help, I don’t help anything, I don’t help Fernando, I don’t help Ferrari, I don’t help anything, I just help myself!”