Felipe Massa drives for one of two teams who seem capable of directly influencing the outcome of the Formula One drivers’ championship. However, the Brazilian said the only placing he cares about on Sunday is his own.
The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have won 15 of 18 races this season, but Massa’s Williams team have shown encouraging signs in recent months, finishing on the podium at the previous two races.
By finishing second, Hamilton wins the championship, even if Rosberg wins the race.
However, if Rosberg wins and Massa can split the Mercedes drivers to finish above Hamilton, the title would go to Rosberg.
“Honestly, I don’t care who is going to win the championship, I just want to be there fighting,” Massa said. “We have got close to pushing for a win, but never with the strong possibility to get in front.
“If I am in the situation where I can try to pass Lewis or pass Nico, I will go for it. I don’t care who is there. I have less pressure than they have and just trying to finish as high up as possible.”
In 2008, Massa won the season-finale in front of his home fans but lost the drivers’ title to Hamilton when the Briton climbed to fifth on the final turn to top the standings by a single point. To the Sao Paulo native’s credit, he dealt with the disappointment with extraordinary grace, but it hurt him deeply and he has never came close to a championship since.
The former Ferrari driver is modest enough not to offer advice to either of the championship contenders, but he hopes both men show the respect their opposite teammate deserves.
“They don’t need my advice; they are good drivers. But you need respect. That’s what I did. I lost on the last corner, but sometimes that can happen,” Massa said. “You have to show respect to your fans, your people, your teammate and your team. That’s all I can say.
“Psychologically, Nico has less pressure, but he cannot be scared; he cannot have fear for the race. If he has fear, he can lose some time. Lewis needs to be more of a gentleman – and, sometimes, it’s not easy for him to be a gentleman.”
On Sunday, the Williams driver can impact Hamilton’s hopes of a second title. In doing so, though, he could be helping a German win – an outcome a Brazilian might not be keen to see, given the events of July 8, 2014.
Massa watched his national football team’s historic 7-1 World Cup humbling this summer from a bar in his adopted hometown of Monaco. He did so with wife Rafaella, son Felipinho – and a few less-welcome customers.
“There were some German people on the table next to me,” Massa said. “It was … not very nice.”
Many Brazilians in and around the stadium in Belo Horizonte that evening were philosophical, maintaining the country’s festive atmosphere and accepting that their country’s team was not good enough. Massa, likewise, is able now to see the bigger picture.
“It has not been a good year for Brazil,” the 33-year-old former Ferrari driver said. “So many problems have happened this year: the political elections, the World Cup and all the issues beforehand, corruption … Looking at all the problems we have in my country, the shock result was the best thing that could have happened.”
He added: “It is better to have a massive upset, so people understand. It is better for the people to be grounded and realise that we are not better than anybody, but we can try to be. Because we haven’t been trying for quite a while now – in everything, including motorsport.
“The federation is not doing anything, so we don’t have any new drivers fighting for the championship in the other categories. It will be very difficult to see more Brazilians in Formula One.”
Massa is the only Brazilian driver in the sport this season, but will be joined next year by Felipe Nasr, a 22-year-old compatriot of Lebanese extraction. The Williams driver hopes Nasr can carry the baton for many seasons, but accepts the young driver may struggle, given the Sauber team he is joining is suffering financially.
Massa joined Williams at the start of the season, but he has not looked so at ease in the F1 paddock for years. Freed from the restrictions and politics of Ferrari, he is racing again with a smile on his face.
“It’s great. It’s a racing team who focus on racing and that alone,” he said. “Everything else doesn’t matter.”
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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