If you hot click it over to the Guardian’s website, you’ll find the first UK interview with Felipe Massa since his accident in Hungary. The Brazilian talks about his F1 comeback, displays some bullish determination, and discusses Jenson Button’s title challenge.
Massa may have been eyeing a return to the cockpit at his home race in Brazil on October 18, but since doctors have put the brakes on that, he’s now confined to watching the rest of the season from the comfort of his sofa, which he finds a weird experience.
We saw how Massa dealt with his championship defeat at the hands of Lewis Hamilton in São Paulo last season – head held high, dignity intact – and he still sounds like he’s retained that self-belief.
“This is me,” he says about racing again next year. “This is what I do.”
Balls of steel that lad.
And like TG Associate Editor Bill Thomas, Massa’s also thinking about Button’s run at the championship crown this year:
“At the start of the season everything was nice, everything was easy. He was in a new team winning six out of the first seven races. That’s different to fighting hard for the championship. Now he has a different kind of
pressure,” says Felipe.
“In the earlier races he was almost half a second quicker than some teams. You win the race easy and there is not so much pressure. But now we have races where things are more difficult. So for me the pressure has had a big impact on his mind – and he needs to deal with it better. If he does not cope with the pressure he will not win the championship.”
It seems the only way Button’s going to silence the doubters is to win at Monza this weekend… Take part in the poll.
Felipe, you’re one of my favourite drivers and I greatly admire the way you’re dealing with all this…
Hell, If I were whacked on the head by a piece of Brawn travelling at… umm… some very fast speed and confined to the living room to watch a sport that I was really good at and could be winning as a result, I’d be in pieces…
Felipe? What a guy! I can’t wait for his return… Long live the Mass’!!!
Amen to the Ninja. What a person Massa is. Unbelievable..
Third!!! On the podium!
I hope massa does well!
i hope your ok we love you from Puerto Rico
massa we all want you to come back when you’re healed.
don’t give up, be strong.
we love you from the netherlands