Felipe Massa

[Soyyo]

Massa has a great potential to win the championship this year. Massa made mistakes in the first 2 races, and pay for it, but afterwards he has show consistency and pace, at this moment he has the most consistent performance in F1 (look at the last 6 races).
Ferrari spoke with him (Schumi?? Rob Smedley?? Stefano Domenicali?? Kimi?? ) and made him understand what is needed to be a champion (if you can't win then get the more points possible) and also the first 2 races was a strike into an awful future reality, and those event was 1+1=maturity.
Many people doubts his ability and also confuses being a team player with being a second fiddle. Last year he made a lot of mistakes and lost all opportunities to the championship, so he had to help Kimi. This year, like I said before, he didn't started well but he has return to the championship path and it would be very difficult to pull him out of that pace.
He would win this year championship, with Kimi as runner up this time.

[syafiqa]

His cute..I love to see his smiling..
But Kimi still be the one to become the champion again this year.

[pelopubico]

His cute..I love to see his smiling..
But Kimi still be the one to become the champion again this year.

yeah let's hope so...

[TwistedArmco]

Although they're all level on points at the top, you must feel that Felipe, now that he's lost what advantage he had in one fell swoop, feels like the weakest title contender. I wouldn't be surprised if Robert outscores him in the end.

[Sanredrose]

Although they're all level on points at the top, you must feel that Felipe, now that he's lost what advantage he had in one fell swoop, feels like the weakest title contender. I wouldn't be surprised if Robert outscores him in the end.

Felipe was a kid who was lost in the rain @ Silverstone. But i think he can pull it back and come back hard. Last year the European GP was lead by Felipe until the final few laps where Alonso staged a strong attack to take P1 from Massa. So going by the German flavor i believe Massa could be a 2nd row start @ Germany ...

[shailf1]

massa is not as strong as kimi but he can pull out surprises and beside it not aloways the fastest driver who wins the championship. i believe massa has a chance if he delivers consistent performance.

[blizzard]

If Massa wants to become more than an occasional race winner in the future, he better starts protecting his race position. It´s McLaren 4 Massa 0. Last year He spun in Malaysia when the McLarens put pressure on him. Alonso came from way back at the Nürburgring and simply outclassed him. This year Hamilton overtook him twice like Felipe was driving a Force India....

[MansellRed5]

This year Hamilton overtook him twice like Felipe was driving a Force India....

Couldn't agree more. For once, I actually agreed with James Allen. I thought his comments about Massa were justified. However, Massa did put up more of a fight than Piquet, who just simply moved out of the way as if he was being lapped. I mean, he was leading the race for God's sake!

In my personal opinion, I don't think Massa would be any threat in a car bar a Ferrari. As for this year, he's lucky that both Kimi and Lewis have also been inconsistant, that's the only reason he's still in the hunt. If I was Dominicalli, I'd have given Massa the boot the minute Todt left because I believe he's very overrated and is taking up a race seat that could be put to better use by a more talented driver.

Again, I'll stress, it's just MY opinion.

[Zack]

This year Hamilton overtook him twice like Felipe was driving a Force India....

If car performs like Force India what else can you expect from him ... already very less is expected from him.

As for this year, he's lucky that both Kimi and Lewis have also been inconsistant, that's the only reason he's still in the hunt.

that isn't something can be called as "lucky".Its opponents luck factor or incapability to perform consistently.This isn't point why he is 2nd in WDC & just few point way from 1st place.

[AzShadow]

IMO it's pointless to criticize Massa's performance in Hockenheim as the car was so bad that there was no way he could have kept Hamilton behind him.

[MansellRed5]

IMO it's pointless to criticize Massa's performance in Hockenheim as the car was so bad that there was no way he could have kept Hamilton behind him.

Personally, I wasn't singling out Hockenheim in particular, when summing up, I meant, in general .

[Sanredrose]

This year Hamilton overtook him twice like Felipe was driving a Force India....

Couldn't agree more. For once, I actually agreed with James Allen. I thought his comments about Massa were justified. However, Massa did put up more of a fight than Piquet, who just simply moved out of the way as if he was being lapped. I mean, he was leading the race for God's sake!

In my personal opinion, I don't think Massa would be any threat in a car bar a Ferrari. As for this year, he's lucky that both Kimi and Lewis have also been inconsistant, that's the only reason he's still in the hunt. If I was Dominicalli, I'd have given Massa the boot the minute Todt left because I believe he's very overrated and is taking up a race seat that could be put to better use by a more talented driver.

Again, I'll stress, it's just MY opinion.

Nelsinho didn't have the machinery to put up a fight. Moreover he was heading for his first podium finish which he wanted to keep intact. I think even Renault would have acknowledged his move. Had this been Trulli in a Toyota, i would have counted on Trulli winning the race !

Massa doesn't deserve to be thrown out of Ferrari. Remember he can bring in point when its dry and things are going his way ! Basically he depends a lot on favorable conditions to win the race. That should suit Ferrari and give them an option to have a lead driver and Massa as a support driver. IMO Massa can be a very good second driver but never be able to challenge for WDC when Kimi, Lewis & Alonso are around !

[dazmoffman]

Hmmm good question OP and some good variable answers to.
heres my take,
i really like massa as a person and i do rate him BUT i dont see the hunger in him that i see in the likes of kimi,robert or lewis, i see lewis and kimi confidant in their abilitys and confidance in the tools they are given and a stern belif they can win at all cost and massa will try his best but unless he is leading from the off i wouldnt beat my mortgage on him winning i do see him as second fiddle to kimi but maybe thats because i rate kimi higher and i did before he became WDC or even sat in a ferrari, i expect some of you can pull out some stats proving my theory wrong but this is my gut feeling about him but please dont take me wrong as i would love him as my neighbour.

Heres my missus take,

"massa is wicked he has more bad luck than kimi when kimi started 6th in germany nothing was really mentioned but when massa gets a bad start or has a problem with the car people question his ability, with rob smedley as a good engineer that belives in him as i do he can do it and he is a gentleman, i want him to win the WDC this year. he isnt second in the WDC at this moment by sheer luck"

[shailf1]

i agree with you. specially the last paragraph. people look at maasa like an enemy and criticize him much more than other drivers.

[TwistedArmco]

In my personal opinion, I don't think Massa would be any threat in a car bar a Ferrari. If I was Dominicalli, I'd have given Massa the boot the minute Todt left because I believe he's very overrated and is taking up a race seat that could be put to better use by a more talented driver.

Again, I'll stress, it's just MY opinion.

Not fully my opinion, but it is arguable that they only hired him because he's was only somewhat above average. Ferrari used to have to change things their own way (by team orders - Villeneuve/Scheckter) when they had two exceptional drivers in their cars. With Massa, you can expect less consistency and less raw pace than Kimi/Schumi, and maybe this was why he was hired for 2006. As a support man. Ferrari don't mind him poaching the odd win on one of "his" tracks (Interlagos/Istanbul/Bahrain) early in a season, or when it doesn't really matter, just as long as it doesn't impede inconvenience Kimi.

Another interesting point - Massa has been inconsistent too. (Melbourne with DC and the wall? Sepang with that wonderful reverse park?

All of that is really just a few interesting points I thought of when I read MR5's inciteful post. My real opinion changes race by race. Ask me at the end of this season what I think of Felipe.