Felipe Massa is Improving and Maturing as a Driver

By Jamie Makin
April 12 2005

When Felipe Massa debuted in F1 with team SAUBER PETRONAS in 2002, he was quickly labeled the "wild child" of the paddock. He was undeniably quick, but prone to crashes and other errors that had many doubting his future in the series.

He spent a year away from racing and tested for the Ferrari team before returning to the grid with SAUBER PETRONAS last season. He returned a much more mature and confident driver and put in some solid performances in the C23. The 18-race season saw him suffer only four DNF's offset by strong finishes such as 5th place in Monaco and 4th place in Belgium.

What has made Massa such an improved driver? "Experience is so important in Formula One! Today I have a much better understanding of the car, all its technical aspects and how to find the best set-up. I can give more detailed input to the engineers and I have now the self-confidence to push the team in a positive way," the young Brazilian explained.

Along with improving his behind-the-scenes relationship with the team, he has also improved his handling of the car during the race. "The experience also helps further to improve your driving, to know exactly when to drive more aggressively and when to hold back," Massa said. "And obviously, I have also improved in terms of consistency during the race."

Massa has clearly come a long way, but he is still looking ahead to even bigger and better things. "My goal is to fight for points on a regular basis," Massa declared. "We are testing some new parts in Barcelona this week and I expect that we will be able to further improve the performance of the SAUBER PETRONAS C24."