It's better for us if it stays dry - Massa
After a very disappointing race for Scuderia Ferrari driver Felipe Massa at Monza, the Brazilian is upbeat for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. The weekend will be overshadowed by the outcome of the World Motor Sport Council hearing at Paris.
Felipe Massa "I have nothing much more to say about what happened in Monza, except to repeat how disappointed I was. To do just a handful of laps in Ferrari's home grand prix and at such a critical stage in the championship was not a good feeling. Impossible is not a word I like to use, but in terms of the Drivers' championship, if it is not impossible for me to win it, it is certainly looking very difficult indeed. I never give up and I will keep trying but making up a difference of 23 points to Hamilton would not be easy.
"If the championship now only seems a remote possibility I don't think it will change my approach to the races that are still left. It is not as though I will find it easier to race hard if I tell myself there is nothing to lose, because this season, I have won races when I have been under a lot of pressure, so being relaxed is not something that would make a difference. Between now and the end of the year, I just want to get as many victories as possible all the way to the last race.
"Now, we head off to Spa for the first time in two years, although we actually had a test session there back in July, which gave us the opportunity to get to know it again and also to see the modifications. Spa-Francorchamps is a fantastic circuit. I have always liked going there and I reckon our car should be competitive enough to fight for the win. The track is very interesting. Some corners, such as Eau Rouge, are now relatively easy to take flat out, which was not the case going back to the days of the V10 engine. With the current V8s it is much easier to take this flat out, so it is not quite as challenging as in the past. But the overall layout is very nice, with many quick corners and rapid changes of direction, all of which are features I like.
"One thing I noticed at the test is that the new pit lane entry is not at all well thought out. There is a high wall alongside it which obscures visibility and the entrance is very narrow, so if anyone stops there, no one else will get past. Doing a simple pit lane entrance should have been easy, but they seem to have taken the complicated route! At the moment, even though the weather in this part of the world is always unpredictable, the forecast is for a dry weekend. I think we should be competitive if it rained, but looking at the fact that our closest rivals are quite competitive in situations where grip levels are low, maybe it is better for us if it stays dry.
"Thursday, the day we all arrive at the track, everyone will be waiting for news from the World Council meeting in Paris, so I am sure there will be a lot of questions aimed at us drivers and the team bosses. Within the team we have not discussed this situation. The important thing is that whatever is right and fair must be done, but I am concentrating on my job on the track. I don't want to get involved with the off-track situation."
