Felipe Massa's future

[amouzouris]

I think Ferrari will wait until the end of the season to see exactly Kubica's health status. If Kubica isn't ready, then we might see Perez taking his seat and who knows, maybe Massa back at Sauber.

What's with the Kubica obsession? Okay the guy was great pre-crash; he won't be the same guy post-crash, just like Massa sadly.

Is anyone even aware of the state of his fitness? Being out for even a year with no racing has detrimental effects.

not all drivers are afraid of speed after a big crash....and as its been said before massa's problem are not cs of the crash...if you go 0.500 s faster the chances of getting hit by a spring will not increase and he is clever enough to know that!! massa's spirit was crashed in Hockenheim 2010....his decline started from that point...sadly..

edit: if u remember kubica had that horrendous crash in canada 2007 and he came back even stronger...i believe that the only thing that will determine if kubica will be as good as before is if he has permanent damage on his arm...

[Nando]

I think Ferrari will wait until the end of the season to see exactly Kubica's health status. If Kubica isn't ready, then we might see Perez taking his seat and who knows, maybe Massa back at Sauber.

What's with the Kubica obsession? Okay the guy was great pre-crash; he won't be the same guy post-crash, just like Massa sadly.

Is anyone even aware of the state of his fitness? Being out for even a year with no racing has detrimental effects.

He´s a way better driver then you think. You just haven´t realized it yet.

What do you base your opinion on that Massa is not the same guy as before? air i would presume.

[PlatinumZealot]

Just to take up the comment. MAssa is obviously not the same. This was the same guy that was beating Kimi before the accident. I do not beleive Kimi, even as he is, 2 years away from the sport, less no refueling experience, is over a half second slower than Alonso. Massa's ability to hold concentration has obviously been permanently affected. At least that is what I believe.

[bhall]

I tend to agree with that, and I don't hold it against him, either. He's got a beautiful wife, a young son and more than enough money to take care of both, even if he never drives again. If anything, a reluctance to push the limits on a racetrack is actually the most logical reaction possible to his accident.

Personally, I'd like to see him get a shot somewhere other than Ferrari - like Sauber, for instance - just to see if he can flower once again under a different light. If not, I think he can walk away, if he so chooses, with no regrets. He's handled his career with a dignity and humility often lost on other drivers who've faced far less adversity.

[Speedster]

I think Ferrari will wait until the end of the season to see exactly Kubica's health status. If Kubica isn't ready, then we might see Perez taking his seat and who knows, maybe Massa back at Sauber.

What's with the Kubica obsession? Okay the guy was great pre-crash; he won't be the same guy post-crash, just like Massa sadly.

Is anyone even aware of the state of his fitness? Being out for even a year with no racing has detrimental effects.

not all drivers are afraid of speed after a big crash....and as its been said before massa's problem are not cs of the crash...if you go 0.500 s faster the chances of getting hit by a spring will not increase and he is clever enough to know that!! massa's spirit was crashed in Hockenheim 2010....his decline started from that point...sadly..

edit: if u remember kubica had that horrendous crash in canada 2007 and he came back even stronger...i believe that the only thing that will determine if kubica will be as good as before is if he has permanent damage on his arm...

Damage to an arm is also a whole different matter than brain damage. The fact that he is already training in cart and I don't know what indicates that he still has the will and the fire in him to race. I don't think he will have lost it, the important thing is making his hand work.

I also think he is the only option that can really help Ferrari. Next best would be Perez, but I hope he is smart enough not to go there. He needs more experience and in this car, in the middle of the season he will be crushed by Alonso. Not a good way to start in a top team.

[mx_tifoso]

If Massa loves Ferrari as much has says, he should leave on his own behalf before he gets the awkward boot. But I want him to improve and finish the season before anyone replaces him.

[Echo]

Do you really think massa´s dignity is more important than Ferrari´s image??? Massa should start with the basics as such, karting and learn how to turn into the curve with a fast flick on the steering wheel

[andartop]

It’s a difficult question, but equally, it’s one that, one way or another, needs to be asked. Has there ever been the doubt in your mind that you are no longer as quick since the accident in Budapest?
“I have asked myself that forty five thousand times and don’t think I haven’t and why wouldn’t I: having won so much over three years, eleven races, the question is obvious. And it’s not as though I only stuck to asking myself: I went looking for the answer, asking a whole host of questions and undergoing as many medical examinations. All the doctors I consulted are prepared to swear hand on heart that there are absolutely no traces of the impact with the spring. As for myself, I don’t feel in any way different to the way I was before that weekend. For example, if it was true that I no longer had the same will to win as before or the same courage, then how can one explain the fact that, at the race start, I am probably still one of the best drivers and I am not the sort to hold back when it comes to overtaking?"

I don't believe a freak accident can have such a huge psychological impact to one of these guys. Could have if it had been Felipe's mistake that led to the accident.

As for the "brain damage" I say it's all BS, until there is any medical evidence for it.

Having said that, I do believe he would be better off at a smaller team, such as Sauber.

It's not one single thing but many factors, obviously including the car, tires, driving style, having Alonso as a team mate driving like there's no tomorrow, knowing he is second driver, the media pressure and his own will to prove himself. The longer he stays with Ferrari the more humiliated he will be when he is eventually asked to leave..

[absbeginner]

It's not one single thing but many factors, obviously including the car, tires, driving style, having Alonso as a team mate driving like there's no tomorrow, knowing he is second driver, the media pressure and his own will to prove himself. The longer he stays with Ferrari the more humiliated he will be when he is eventually asked to leave..

Massa was competitive in 2006/2007/2008 when front tires were wider than now.
It seems he has been unable to cope with changes in tires size and in weight distribution, at least not like his team mate.

[bhall]

Massa was competitive in 2006/2007/2008 when front tires were wider than now.
It seems he has been unable to cope with changes in tires size and in weight distribution, at least not like his team mate.

I've mentioned before that his pace seems to have fallen off in concert with the move to narrower front tires, but I'd totally forgotten about the standard weight distribution now inflicted on F1 cars and how detrimental that can be to a driver who's struggling. That's a substantial tool whereby drivers and engineers can perfect the balance of a car, and it's one that, sadly, Massa and Smedley cannot even dream of touching, because "the show" provided by Pirelli has been deemed the alpha and the omega of F1.

God, I hate these tires.

[AnthonyG]

From an article on autosport about driving style

In the days when Felipe Massa was regularly winning grands prix, he was extremely good at taking a lot of braking a long way into the corner, sometimes right up to the apex if the corner was slow enough. This forces you to have a lower minimum corner speed than the guy who has released the brakes earlier – because the tyre is overloaded. But if the corner apex is very slow anyway, that doesn't cost much lap time, probably less than Massa had gained on the way in by braking so late. He was also very adept at maintaining momentum with an understeer balance. Either some of his sensitivity has been lost, or the stiffer control-tyre Bridgestones and Pirellis used since his comeback from injury do not allow that style to work.

[myurr]

I've mentioned before that his pace seems to have fallen off in concert with the move to narrower front tires, but I'd totally forgotten about the standard weight distribution now inflicted on F1 cars and how detrimental that can be to a driver who's struggling. That's a substantial tool whereby drivers and engineers can perfect the balance of a car, and it's one that, sadly, Massa and Smedley cannot even dream of touching, because "the show" provided by Pirelli has been deemed the alpha and the omega of F1.

God, I hate these tires.

Again you're placing the blame in the wrong quarter. The mandated weight distribution was agreed between the teams for last year and extended into this year by the teams! It has nothing to do with 'the show' and everything to do with the teams not wanting one car design or another to luck into a weight balance that proved optimal for the tyres and that the others wouldn't be able to copy until the following season.

[f1316]

Thought this might be a topic worth revisiting in light of the last two races.

There's no doubt Felipe's outright pace has improved. He qualified pretty well in Monaco and Canada and was setting fastest laps towards the beginning and end of the race in Montreal. His mistake at turn 2 ruined his whole race and this was - unless anyone knows different - purely a driver error, but I'm still encouraged by his outright pace. Incidentally, the mistake reminded me quite a lot of his spin in Bahrain 2006, where he was quick but almost pushing beyond his abilities to keep up with Alonso and Michael.

I'm still not convinced that he's the man Ferrari need beyond this season, but I certainly think it would be a big mistake to put anyone new into the team during the current season. I've said this before but it bears repeating, when the car is good Massa can drive it quickly, so his pace is also further evidence that the car has turned the corner.

[myurr]

They've also made progress with his setup. Apparently they've made a change to his baseline torsion bar setup (can't remember where I read this) that has given him much better feel from the front tyres which in turn has made him more comfortable with the car.

He's definitely turned a corner and if he can improve his consistency, something that has always been a bit of a weak spot, then he should bring Ferrari a good points haul over the rest of the races this season.

[bhall]

I've mentioned before that his pace seems to have fallen off in concert with the move to narrower front tires, but I'd totally forgotten about the standard weight distribution now inflicted on F1 cars and how detrimental that can be to a driver who's struggling. That's a substantial tool whereby drivers and engineers can perfect the balance of a car, and it's one that, sadly, Massa and Smedley cannot even dream of touching, because "the show" provided by Pirelli has been deemed the alpha and the omega of F1.

God, I hate these tires.

Again you're placing the blame in the wrong quarter. The mandated weight distribution was agreed between the teams for last year and extended into this year by the teams! It has nothing to do with 'the show' and everything to do with the teams not wanting one car design or another to luck into a weight balance that proved optimal for the tyres and that the others wouldn't be able to copy until the following season.

Not to dredge up the past or anything, but I'm just now seeing this - I'm forgetful - and I want to make sure I understand you.

What you're saying here, if I'm reading this correctly, is that the standard weight distribution has nothing to do with "the show" except for the part about the tires, which were introduced to provide "the show"?

On topic: I'm very pleased to see that Massa seems to have unlocked a portion of the mystery surrounding his poor performance. After suffering for so long, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that his spin in Canada was caused by over-exuberance!