Felipe Massa Interview transcript

Felipe on: bouncing back from Brazil

I think in a way for sure it was a disappointment but we did everything we could. We won the race so we did a fantastic job in the last race which was in my home race in Brazil so we started on pole position. We won first maybe every session so at the end of the day it was a bit of disappointment to lose the championship by one point. In a way it was a little bit of a disappointment but not so much. I think we did a fantastic job in the last race so we won the race. We started on pole.

We were first in most of the sessions so I think the job was just fantastic and we didn’t depend just from ourselves but also from what our main rival, which was Hamilton, was supposed to do. At the end of the day, I mean, it’s supposed to be like that. I think we learn and we grow as well a lot because of this. And, you know, after the race it was a little bit of a disappointment but then you start to put everything together and it was also a very good job we did during the season.

Felipe on: going one better in 2009

Well the approach will be the same. Maybe work even harder to try to finish most of the race in most of the points because we show that maybe one point is enough to lose the championship at the end of the year, so I think the approach now has to be the same in terms of driving, in terms of working with the team but trying to be a little bit more consistent and at the end of the race to finish even if you are not first, trying to finish in the points.

Felipe on: his main rivals in 2009

I think it’s quite difficult to say because, you know, we are still quite on the beginning. We still have to grow and we still have to work a lot on this car, you know, trying to be on very good shape at the beginning of the season.

But, I mean, being on good shape at the beginning of the season, and I think we can have maybe McLaren again fighting for the championship, BMW because they did a good job in the last years and maybe Renault and maybe some surprise so I think it’s quite difficult to say now but I will say the four teams which I mentioned – the fight can be inside these teams.

Felipe on: a winning partnership

First of all I think it’s fantastic to see the relationship between Shell and Ferrari since so many years and I personally arrived in Ferrari some years ago as a test driver in 2003 and I have some experience, you know, about this partnership. So I think it’s just fantastic to see how a partner works with the team so close and so intense in a good direction which is our relationship.

And so many tenths seconds that we need during the season is a lot because of the fuel we have, because of the lubricants, because of the reliability, because of the power of the engine. Everything is very very important to improve the car to be quicker, resistant, consistent. Everything is so important so that’s why it’s just amazing to see the relationship day by day between Ferrari and Shell.