Q: Felipe, you said yesterday that it would very much come down to the first corner and the start, and that defined the race for you.
Felipe MASSA: Well, it was a little bit tight for both of us but I was just inside and I went for it so it was quite a risk for both of us, but looking at the competition and everything, the first corner is important. I just didn’t want to lose out like I lost out in Malaysia. I was inside, so I just tried to stay there. Q: I have to ask if there was any contact between you and Fernando in that first corner?
FM: Yeah, we touched. We were both very close going into the first corner. Fernando was trying to push me inside and we just touched each other. It was a very small contact but I was also a bit afraid for my car afterwards but fortunately nothing happened.
Q: And it was a relatively straightforward race but we did see a small fuel fire in your first pit stop.
FM: Ah. I didn’t know that. It’s not important any more. We finished with no problems, so if we had a little problem, I’m sure the problem was solved.
Q: Let’s talk about the later stages of the race: you made a relatively early second pit stop but a troublefree afternoon for you after that?
FM: Yeah, for sure I think the most difficult part of the race was the start. It was pretty tough but afterwards I saw that nothing had happened to my car, that the car was responding quite well and I was managing to build a gap, quite a good gap, straightaway, so after that, I had the race in my hands. I was just concerned about the car, it was the second race for the engine but looking at the gap I was building, I think I had the race in my hands there.
Q: And perhaps some concern with your team-mate Kimi, having what is suspected to be an electronic problem?
FM: I really don’t know what happened with Kimi. I just heard my engineer tell me that Kimi was in trouble. It’s a shame for the Constructors’ championship because we could have finished in a good position, even first and second, so let’s try to do that next time.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Felipe, during those early stages, were you surprised at the gap you were managing to pull out?
FM: A little bit, yes, especially in the beginning when in three or four laps, I managed to pull away three seconds or something. Then I was getting half a second quicker per lap, so that was a little bit of a surprise. I knew that Lewis was a little bit heavier, looking at the times he did in qualifying but it was a little bit of a surprise. But anyway, I just took the advantage of that to pull away and make the biggest gap I could to be a little bit more relaxed in the second part of the race.
Q: And even in the second stint, it went from something like 8.9s out to nearly 19s…
FM: Yeah, which was even better. I just heard now, from them, that they took the decision to go on the hard tyres in the second stint, which for me was even better, because I had good grip, good stability on the soft tyres, so it was even better for me to pull away even more. And then in the last stint, I went to the hard tyres and the car was a little bit more difficult but I was also more relaxed as well.
Q: Monaco next, always a bit of a lottery there…
FM: Yeah, it’s a lottery and hopefully we can have a bit of luck in this lottery.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Ottavio Daviddi - Tuttosport) Felipe, we have Fernando’s opinion about the first corner. The question is: do you think too great a risk? Or not?
FM: Both of us… But usually I was inside, so I had the car inside, so I don’t understand his point. It was just a normal race accident and as long as I am inside, close to the car going to the first corner, I will keep there. I will not move. So, if somebody was aggressive, it was Fernando, it was not me.
Q: (Juha Päätalo – Financial Times Germany) Felipe, you are now the Ferrari driver with most points, what does that mean for the rest of the season for you?
FM: Try to make more points… Just to try and work hard and make points. To keep working and doing the job, that’s it. So, I think the job this weekend was fantastic. Unfortunately, Kimi had a problem. I am sure we had a very good car and it was possible even to finish first and second so just that’s it. Keep working. I think the job done in the factory and at the track was very good. So we just need to keep that job going.
Q: (Luis Fernando Ramos – Racing Magazine) Felipe, Ferrari have three wins and four poles this year, but McLaren is leading the championship. Will reliability be the key to the championship and are you concerned at Ferrari’s reliability?
FM: For sure, if you saw that we finished with just one car, it is a concern. We need to improve and make everything right, so that we finish the race with both cars so the consistency of both cars is very important in the championship. We need to keep improving. And if McLaren finish every race with both cars, then that is very important.
Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Will this incident change the relationship between you two, Alonso and Massa?
FM: For me, for sure, not… If I am wrong, which in my career I have always been the first one to say when I am wrong, or made a mistake, but this time don’t tell me I made a mistake. Come on, this is racing. This is Formula One and this is the first corner. When I make a mistake I will be the first one to say.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) Felipe, did you talk to Michael (Schumacher) at the end of the race? Did he congratulate you?
FM: Yes, I said thanks to him for last year because it was a good school and I learned quite a lot.
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