Formula One news

Massa stands by Malaysian driving

Felipe Massa has stood by his driving tactics during the Malaysian Grand Prix even though they cost him the chance of finishing third. The Ferrari driver tried to pass Hamilton at turn four on two occasions, and both times went too deep. He lost the position right back to Hamilton on the first attempt and on his next go, went off track and dropped to fifth behind Nick Heidfeld.

"Of course, what happened in Sepang was disappointing," Massa said. "It was not what we had expected. Lewis stopped on lap 20 and I refuelled on lap 17, so there was not a big difference in our fuel loads during the first stint of the race. But the only certainty I had was that, having lost position to Fernando and to Lewis, I knew that if I did not pass Lewis as soon as possible, my race was effectively over. The best I could have finished would have been third at that point." 

"I would never have overtaken him in the run of pit stops and so the only course open to me was to try and pass him on the track," Massa added. "That is why I said to myself that I did not want to sit behind him, looking at the back of a McLaren for the whole race! If people accuse me of making mistake, I say, yes I did make a mistake, because otherwise I would have been ahead of him. But, I am not disappointed that I tried to pass him. You have to try in life and if tomorrow I am in the same position, I would try again."

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