Felipe Massa is confident that Ferrari can make their best start to a championship for some time. With pre-season testing going well for the team, with many outsiders are tipping the Italian squad as the pace setters.
The 2009 season didn’t start well for the team, after a prolonged battle for the championship with McLaren in 2008, in which they took the constructors but missed out on the drivers crown by a single point to Lewis Hamilton in one of the most nail-biting sporting moments ever.
“I am very happy and very motivated that we can start the championship in a better way not just than last year, which was not a very good year, but also than the other championships.”
“It looks like we are in good condition to start the championship with a good car and a reliable car, which is good for the start of the season. It’s good to think about the points straight away,” he told the Ferrari website.
Massa has downplayed Ferrari’s chances of winning, but is certain he and the team can come away with some impressive points.
“My expectation is definitely to score many points,” he said. “Even if maybe we don’t know if it will be possible to win, it will be important to start the championship in the right direction. That’s our expectation and that’s what we’re looking for.
“The feeling is good, but for sure feet on the ground, because we know we are going to have a very difficult championship,” Massa said. “There are a lot of good cars, good teams and good drivers.
“But I can say that the feeling is really, really good. What we did in the winter tests was always very positive. Our car and our team were very competitive.
“I think it shows that we have a car ready to start the season. But we have to work every day to improve the situation and improve the car race by race to be at the top. But I’m very motivated.”