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[Fact Man]

Massa reveals no friendship with Raikkonen.
Tue 16 Sep, 01:00 PM

"If we are together in a meeting, when it is finished he opens the door and is gone," Felipe Massa reveals of Ferrari team-mate and defending F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen...

Felipe Massa has revealed that he and Kimi Raikkonen are far from friends away from the circuit in Formula 1, adding that he expects no help from the Finn as he endeavours to defeat McLaren-Mercedes rival and world championship leader Lewis Hamilton for the 2008 drivers' crown.

Raikkonen may be the sport's defending title-winner, but Massa - currently 20 points ahead of his team-mate and just a single marker adrift of Hamilton in the standings with four races left to run - is irrefutably Ferrari's principal hope for glory twelve months on.

Though there have been a number of suggestions that now is the time for the Scuderia to place all of its eggs in the Brazilian's basket, Massa is adamant he is fighting his own battles - and that his relationship with the driver of the sister F2008 is strictly professional

"Whether I do it (win the championship) or not is completely separate to what Kimi or anyone else does," the 27-year-old told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. "I am sitting in the car; I am the one who wins races or makes mistakes. It is my game.

"We work with each other and want Ferrari to be world champion, but we are not friends; we have no private relationship. If we are together in a meeting, when it is finished he opens the door and is gone."

Massa added that he is much closer to his previous team-mate Michael Schumacher - now a Ferrari advisor and a man he describes as being 'like an older brother' - and again underlined his conviction that he can be world champion this year.

"Otherwise I should not even be sitting in a Ferrari," he quipped.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16092008/ ... konen.html

[Hanwombat]

Interesting read, I dont think Kimi will yield

[7UpJordan]

Interesting read, I dont think Kimi will yield

At this rate Kimi's stubborn-ness could cost Massa the title, pretty much exactly how the tension in the McLaren garage cost them the title last year.

[scotty]

Boo hoo Felipe.

[8-ball]

Interesting read, I dont think Kimi will yield

At this rate Kimi's stubborn-ness could cost Massa the title, pretty much exactly how the tension in the McLaren garage cost them the title last year.

A part of me says this is selfishness by Kimi after all Felipe pulled over last year in Brazil. But another part of me says why should Felipe get an easy ride to the title. He is only in the car because Nicholas todt is his manager because he certainly isn't the most talented driver that Ferrari could have in the car. I would respect him more if he won the title without Kimi having to push him over the line

[Denthúl]

Not exactly the best environment for two drivers to work together in. Maybe Ferrari should ditch Raikkonen and force Schumacher back in to the sport.

[McLaren Fan]

Ferrari need two new drivers. Let's say next season's Ferrari suits Raikkonen's driving style better (and a lot of this is trash anyway - just that Raikkonen's pathetically inconsistent in races), he still can't develop a car. It's generally the same with Scandinavian drivers. If the car's no good, they come back into their shoulders and shrug their shoulders, and if the car understeers, however slightly, they can't go fast. The only exception that I can think of to this is Hakkinen, who could drive most things pretty fast, but even he took several years to become a good development driver. Then, what about Massa. The guy has worked hard, fair enough, we admire him for this, but he can't overtake and he can't drive in the wet. Ferrari can do better. From a McLaren point of view, I was very pleased to hear that Massa and Raikkonen are staying at Maranello for a while yet.

[scotty]

Then, what about Massa. The guy has worked hard, fair enough, we admire him for this, but he can't overtake and he can't drive in the wet.

Guess who made the most overtaking maneuvers last season?

[McLaren Fan]

Then, what about Massa. The guy has worked hard, fair enough, we admire him for this, but he can't overtake and he can't drive in the wet.

Guess who made the most overtaking maneuvers last season?

Stats please.

[scotty]

Then, what about Massa. The guy has worked hard, fair enough, we admire him for this, but he can't overtake and he can't drive in the wet.

Guess who made the most overtaking maneuvers last season?

Stats please.

Bear with me on that, there was a section on it in F1 Racing a while back, i'll see if i can actually find the issue/article. I believe it was him top with 20something moves made on track - ie. not counting positions made during pit stops.

This'll do until i can find the real thing...

But according to the June 2008 edition of F1 Racing, there were in fact 270 on-track overtaking moves pulled off in the 2007 season. Interestingly enough, Felipe Massa topped the table, completing a total of 20 overtaking manoeuvres during the season. The Japanese Grand Prix alone contained 46 passes.

[McLaren Fan]

Then, what about Massa. The guy has worked hard, fair enough, we admire him for this, but he can't overtake and he can't drive in the wet.

Guess who made the most overtaking maneuvers last season?

Stats please.

Bear with me on that, there was a section on it in F1 Racing a while back, i'll see if i can actually find the issue/article. I believe it was him top with 20something moves made on track - ie. not counting positions made during pit stops.

This'll do until i can find the real thing...

But according to the June 2008 edition of F1 Racing, there were in fact 270 on-track overtaking moves pulled off in the 2007 season. Interestingly enough, Felipe Massa topped the table, completing a total of 20 overtaking manoeuvres during the season. The Japanese Grand Prix alone contained 46 passes.

I really am shocked to read that. If I remember rightly, last season, pretty much all the races Massa won last season he did it from pole position. 2006 was the same as well. The only reason that I can think of as to why his overtaking maneuver stats are so good is because of the difference in performance between the F2007 and the MP4-22 on various circuits and then the difference between the F2007 and the other cars more or less everywhere. He's generally been the sharp end of the grid as well and prefers to lead races from the front because he has difficulty trying to get past other cars, so it's not as if he's had a lot more overtaking to do than other drivers.

[darwin dali]

Then, what about Massa. The guy has worked hard, fair enough, we admire him for this, but he can't overtake and he can't drive in the wet.

Guess who made the most overtaking maneuvers last season?

Stats please.

Bear with me on that, there was a section on it in F1 Racing a while back, i'll see if i can actually find the issue/article. I believe it was him top with 20something moves made on track - ie. not counting positions made during pit stops.

This'll do until i can find the real thing...

But according to the June 2008 edition of F1 Racing, there were in fact 270 on-track overtaking moves pulled off in the 2007 season. Interestingly enough, Felipe Massa topped the table, completing a total of 20 overtaking manoeuvres during the season. The Japanese Grand Prix alone contained 46 passes.

I really am shocked to read that. If I remember rightly, last season, pretty much all the races Massa won last season he did it from pole position. 2006 was the same as well. The only reason that I can think of as to why his overtaking maneuver stats are so good is because of the difference in performance between the F2007 and the MP4-22 on various circuits and then the difference between the F2007 and the other cars more or less everywhere. He's generally been the sharp end of the grid as well and prefers to lead races from the front because he has difficulty trying to get past other cars, so it's not as if he's had a lot more overtaking to do than other drivers.

He made most of those passes when he had to start from far back for various reasons.

[bud]

He made most of those passes when he had to start from far back for various reasons.

yep!

[nolaquest]

I guess the overtaking from third to first in Hungary was Massa just being average and had Ferrrari changed the oil properly he would have a legit lead.
(Lewis' "puncture" wasn't because he knows how to take care of tires, no, no he knows everything about racing)

[Ferrarista]

Then, what about Massa. The guy has worked hard, fair enough, we admire him for this, but he can't overtake and he can't drive in the wet.

Guess who made the most overtaking maneuvers last season?

Stats please.

You are right about the rain...Massa is always struggling in the rain, that's why I'm a bit scared for the coming races. I have to admit Lewis isn't that bad at all on the wet track.

But ...

No good in overtaking ? Humm...Massa did some fantastic overtaking this season !!! I'm sure you remember Canada etc. ...
If he just could clinch the pole a bit more ,he would win more races ...