France: The Heat is on for Massa

By Jamie Makin
June 28 2005

The circuit Nevers Magny-Cours in central France has not been one of Felipe Massa's favorites. He succumbed to mechanical failure in his rookie season in 2002 and only managed a 13th place finish last year. Eager to race after sitting out the US GP, Massa talks about the challenges of Magny-Cours.

"Magny-Cours brings us back to the high downforce tracks. It can be an odd place, because it gets really hot after 11 o’clock in the morning so the set-up of the car tends to keep changing all day with the temperature rise. You end up chasing a moving target and it is not easy to get the best out of the car because of this.

"It can be a tricky circuit to get a good lap on. There are a lot of difficult corners, ranging from slow through medium to quick. I really like the first sector which is fast and flowing, I like the hairpin because you have a chance to overtake there, and also I like the first quick ess after that. But the last sector is a bit Mickey Mouse."

Felipe Massa - Results for French GP:

YEAR	QUAL	RACE	COMMENTS
2004	16	13	-
2002	12	DNF	Mechanical