Related News
Home » Sports » Motor Racing
Massa ready to put Singapore demons to bed
Source: Agencies |
September 23, 2010, Thursday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
GIVEN Felipe Massa's pitstop fiasco at the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver will take some comfort that there will be no refueling during this year's race.
Massa qualified in pole position for the city state's night race in 2008 but went from first to last after a nightmare pitstop left his car trailing a broken fuel hose behind it down the pit lane.
The Brazilian, who missed last year's race while recovering from head injuries sustained in a freak accident in Hungary, says he is looking forward to the unique challenge of racing around the city streets of Singapore.
"We need to be ready for everything," said Massa, as thunder rumbled and rain pelted the streets outside a media conference today.
"We know that in wet conditions a track like this is much more difficult -- but we need to be ready."
Massa is well out of this season's title race in sixth spot, trailing Red Bull leader Mark Webber by a massive 63 points, but he said he was determined to do well on Sunday.
"I like the track, in 2008 I was in pole position here and I had a good pace in the race and then we had many problems after refueling," he said with a rueful smile. "First of all, repeat qualifying and then we think about the race."
Regulations imposed by the sport's governing body (FIA) this season have eliminated mid-race refueling, which means cars will be much heavier and more difficult to drive around Singapore's twisty street circuit.
"This is a big difference for the driver, qualifying a car that's maybe six seconds quicker than what you're going to have in the race. That makes our lives a little more difficult," he said.
"Overtaking is very difficult because it's in the middle of a town. There's no long straight and it's one corner after another.
"That's why qualifying is so, so important."
Massa qualified in pole position for the city state's night race in 2008 but went from first to last after a nightmare pitstop left his car trailing a broken fuel hose behind it down the pit lane.
The Brazilian, who missed last year's race while recovering from head injuries sustained in a freak accident in Hungary, says he is looking forward to the unique challenge of racing around the city streets of Singapore.
"We need to be ready for everything," said Massa, as thunder rumbled and rain pelted the streets outside a media conference today.
"We know that in wet conditions a track like this is much more difficult -- but we need to be ready."
Massa is well out of this season's title race in sixth spot, trailing Red Bull leader Mark Webber by a massive 63 points, but he said he was determined to do well on Sunday.
"I like the track, in 2008 I was in pole position here and I had a good pace in the race and then we had many problems after refueling," he said with a rueful smile. "First of all, repeat qualifying and then we think about the race."
Regulations imposed by the sport's governing body (FIA) this season have eliminated mid-race refueling, which means cars will be much heavier and more difficult to drive around Singapore's twisty street circuit.
"This is a big difference for the driver, qualifying a car that's maybe six seconds quicker than what you're going to have in the race. That makes our lives a little more difficult," he said.
"Overtaking is very difficult because it's in the middle of a town. There's no long straight and it's one corner after another.
"That's why qualifying is so, so important."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
