Speaking at an official FIA press conference, Massa explained about Ferrari’s current form and how he thinks the season will turn out.
“Last year was a great experience, learning to fight at the front of the field,” Massa began. “But I still expect to improve race by race.”
The F2007 has had a strong showing in testing and made the scarlet Ferrari one of the favourites for the title. However, Massa is being cautious. “We got stronger and stronger during the winter, ending with the Bahrain test and so of course there are high expectations,” he said. “So I hope we can continue in the same direction especially here in the first race. But racing is different to testing so we must wait and see.”
Although Ferrari look strong, there are worries that they have lost some of their key men – most notable Ross Brawn, who is on a year’s sabbatical, and Michael Schumacher. However, Massa disagrees that the changes will have a negative effect. “It is a big change, however the people who have new responsibilities now had important positions last year. The same people have built the F2007 who built last year’s car, and I trust the engineers and I trust the team.”
Massa also dismissed claims that he will be quicker than his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen. “Again, I say testing is not racing,” he stated. “Kimi is a very quick and strong driver and I expect him to be a very tough competitor while we work as a team to get the best out of the car. Things can change very quickly in F1 and there are seventeen races to go – so I am just planning to keep my feet on the ground and work hard.”
