Formula One news

Massa: Two wins and still only third

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is surprised to see himself third in the 2007 Formula 1 championship while the Brazilian won two out of the four rounds in the championship. Massa scored 27 points so far and sees McLaren drivers Alonso (28 points) and Hamilton (30 points) still ahead of him.

Looking back at his Spanish Grand Prix weekend Massa said: "I think Barcelona was another perfect weekend for me in every way; the way we approached the job, the way practice went and also qualifying. In fact qualifying on pole was a very important preparation for the race, because even with the new chicane, it was still not that easy to overtake. So it was very good for me to start from the front.

"Sure, it turned out to be a tight battle at the first corner, as everyone could see. What happened there showed that I am not scared of being aggressive and that I can be a fighter. I know I am up against some very tough opposition, so this proved that I can be tough too. And then, the way I drove after the start shows that after what happened in a similar situation in Malaysia, I am able to learn a little bit and move forward."

But Massa is still amazed that he is not leading the championship having won two races already this season. "What is unusual is that after three poles and two wins in a row, I am still only third in the championship," he said. "It shows we are moving in the right direction and that we have the momentum, but it also shows we need to keep working hard.

"I am the driver with the most wins and poles at the moment, but we need to have our feet on the ground and keep pushing, because the whole championship is going to be very tight. If you look at the second (Q2) part of qualifying in Barcelona, where it is easiest to see which car is really quickest, then it is clear how close it is between us. The advantage is not so big. But I have to say that, in the race, with our car and set-up and how we manage the tyres, as well as having a great strategy, we had a better package than McLaren."

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