Sunday: Massa saves the day for Ferrari after Alonso’s accident

Felipe Massa – 5th

« It was a great race and finishing 5th is a good result, considering our position on the grid. At the start, I managed to pass both Red Bulls, but I had to move left to avoid the crashed cars, including Fernando’s, and almost lost all the ground I had gained in the first meters. I am really sorry about what happened to my teammate because I think he could have secured a good result given the pace we had. It is also true that today I struggled in the second sector but was fast in the first and third. Making only one stop was not an option for us, so we made the right choice, being quick when it mattered. I don’t know if this race changes anything for my future, but I am really satisfied, as I was very disappointed yesterday afternoon because on this track, I have usually done quite well. Now, we’ll head to Monza, our home race: a circuit that is different from all the others, making it difficult to predict the team hierarchy. Obviously, it would be wonderful to be competitive and achieve a good result in front of our fans who, I am sure, will fully support us. »

Fernando Alonso – Abandonment

« I’m fine, apart from the fact that my shoulders hurt a bit: I went to the medical center right after the accident but everything is okay, the pain is just from the whiplash. I have no idea what happened; I had overtaken the two Saubers when I felt like I was hit by a train! Right after the impact, I stayed in the cockpit, but then there was a fire starting and with the extinguisher foam, I couldn’t breathe. I tried to tell the team that I was okay, but I couldn’t. Now I can say that, despite the bad luck of being caught in such an accident, I’m lucky to be able to get back in the car in a few days. The safety level of these cars is so high and today, we have once again had proof of it.

I am not angry with Grosjean, he didn’t do it on purpose; it was mainly a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think some drivers should try to take fewer risks at the start; it’s somewhat of a trend in the junior categories, but it would be better if they were familiarized, from the early stages of their careers, with the importance of strictly respecting the rules concerning on-track behavior. What happened is unfortunate, because I think a podium was within reach, especially when you look at what Felipe demonstrated on track. Today, we paid the heavy price of our misfortune and luck owes us one now; we’ll see what happens in the remaining races. We lost the advantage we had over Vettel, Webber, and Räikkönen, but we haven’t lost anything to Hamilton who, given the level of the McLarens, was our most dangerous potential rival. Now, we will go to Monza, Ferrari’s home race; traditionally the Reds are strong here, so hopefully, we can have a good weekend and give our fans something to cheer about, and that we can recover some of the advantage lost today.