After coming back from one of the shortest retirements in Formula 1 history, many wondered if Felipe Massa still had what it took to deliver for Williams.
This weekend, the Brazilian left a big statement as he qualified seventh and finished the race in sixth, and doing it very comfortably. The 35-year-old says that he knew it was important to get passed Romain Grosjean at the start of the race.
"It was definitely a good race. I knew the most important thing for me was to overtake Grosjean at the start, because the competition was looking more with him than with the other guys in front who I knew would be very difficult to beat such as Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.
"I had a very good start and passed him, then my race was free from there until the end. The result was just great. I was so happy with the whole race. The way I was managing the tyres, the consistency, the work from the whole team, the pitstop - everything worked really well. We managed to beat the teams behind us in the right way.
Massa is hoping that the result is an indication for a strong season ahead, as Williams look to return to championship-winning ways in the next few years.
"This is something we can really think about in terms of working towards the World Championship. I’m really happy with the result today, so thanks to the whole team. Not bad for an old boy!"
Fergal Walsh
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
Really great performance from Massa today