Massa acknowledges his powerlessness at Hockenheim

Felipe Massa insisted that his Ferrari was not competitive enough to allow him to challenge Lewis Hamilton during the German Grand Prix.

He was second before the intervention of the safety car and eventually occupies the third position behind Hamilton, who got back ahead of him, and Piquet, who benefited from this intervention since he was on a one-stop strategy.

But the Ferrari was never able to overtake the Renault at the end of the race.

« I saw that the pace of my car was not very good. It was because of the soft tires that turned out to be unstable for driving, » said Massa.

« A lack of stability then, and I think a problem with the brakes was added. I lost a lot of performance. As a result, the car was well below its potential. »

The teammate of the reigning world champion then explained that he had given up early on the idea of beating Hamilton.

« I was expecting a tough race because Lewis Hamilton’s pace since the beginning of the weekend was very high. I also knew that McLaren was very comfortable on this track, » he continued.

« Looking at his pace in the race, I think I did a very good qualifying session. In the race and on the first stint, he was half a second faster, and when this situation arises, there is nothing you can do. »

However, Massa is satisfied with his third place because in the end, he is only four points behind the Briton in the driver standings. The battle remains very open.

« Thinking about it, it’s still a good race for me since I finished third. We have just passed the middle of the season, so nothing is decided in the championship. »

« We have to work very hard, of course, but I know that the team will work tirelessly and that we will have a competitive car for the upcoming races, » concluded Felipe Massa.