Williams F1: Massa “delighted” to have been thanked by Ferrari

At the end of the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix, Felipe Massa had 47 points. Unlucky since the beginning of the season, he now only has 18. But as he told the German newspaper Sport Bild, the Brazilian is perfectly happy in his new team. He even goes so far as to thank Ferrari for not keeping him: « It was absolutely the transfer to make. In hindsight, I am even glad that Ferrari didn’t want me, as it opened the door to Williams. »

Gone from being the No. 2 driver to the most experienced driver – by far – of his team, the 33-year-old Brazilian can breathe again: « I’m quite relaxed and motivated. The team respects me. You know, sometimes change is good. I’m older but I feel young again. I’m ready to fight and work hard. I regret nothing. »

For the former Sauber driver, the pressure within the Scuderia was sometimes too strong. At Ferrari, the pressure is enormous—if you don’t win, you have a great weight on your shoulders. You try to turn that pressure into positive energy, but you’re constantly on edge. Here at Williams, I only think about the race, and it’s much better that way.

At Ferrari from 2006 to 2013, teammate to both Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa is therefore perfectly positioned to pass judgment on his successor, Kimi Räikkönen. The difficulties faced by the Finn don’t surprise him at all, as he told *Autosport*: “I expected it because Fernando built a team around him, and also around his driving style. He is a very strong driver and managed to put everything on his side. I think to be better than him you need to be perfect with the car, and I think Kimi might not be 100% ready and perfect with the car.”