Felipe Massa not ruling out return to Sauber

[vcs316]

Felipe Massa has not ruled out returning to Sauber next year if he is forced to leave Ferrari. Brazilian Massa, now 31, made his debut with the Swiss team in 2002 and then returned for the 2004-5 seasons following an interlude as Ferrari's official test driver.

He moved to the famous Maranello based team to be Michael Schumacher's teammate in 2006, but high speculation this year suggests he could be replaced at the end of the season by Ferrari's top development driver Sergio Perez. Mexican Perez's promotion would create a key vacancy at Sauber, the Swiss team with historically political links to Ferrari and a customer of the fabled Italian squad's engine, gearbox and KERS.

Fernando Alonso on Thursday revealed he will have a say on whether or not Massa is retained in 2013. "Fernando is very respected within Ferrari because of his results so it's natural that he participates in the decision about the drivers," Massa is quoted by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo on Thursday. "We have a good relationship, I know he supports me, but what really matters is my results," he insisted. That is what will make Ferrari either keep me or whether I will have to go to another team."

Massa refused to say if he has been in contact with McLaren, whose Lewis Hamilton is yet to renew his deal for 2013. "My best option now is to get results," he answered. Massa said recently he would rather "do something else" rather than sign with a "small" team in 2013. Is Sauber 'small'? Massa answered in Valencia: "Medium."

Journalist Livio Oricchio commented: "It (Sauber) could be an option, but I don't think so. I have great relationships with the team, we travel together on Swissair -- from what I hear, it would be surprising to see Massa there." (GMM)

http://www.f1today.net/en/news/felip...turn-to-sauber

[Poltergeistes]

I heard one interview on a tv show from Felipe, back when ferrari first announced officially that Felipe would join the Scuderia for the 2006 season, in which he told alot of things about this move, why and how it worked back then.

During that 2005 season, there was alot of hope from the brazilians that Felipe could join the scuderia, to most people outside Brazil (99%) it was very unlikely back then.

Massa went on during this talk show to explain a few things, one of them being of course, that he knew it for a while.

Here are some of the things he said in that interview

He had a horrible start at sauber, which would without a doubt make him history after only a year, and he said with alot of effort and persuation, Felipe and his team were able to have at least a small test with ferrari (oh how i miss those days when we could test all season, drivers and equipment) and everyone was impressed, so they decided to give him a try as test driver, cause he had the attitude about work that is a must for ferrari (sorry kimi lol) alot of dedication.

Ferrari beleived alot on his hard work, they realised that back in his debut season at sauber, nobody really taught him how to set up a F1 race car, and ferrari thought, well it's really rocket science, you have to be taught and trained to operate it. you can't do it without the team's support.

As soon as he started testing for ferrari, the entire team, not only the people responsable for testing but also those responsable for the racing during the season, helped him, "explained to him how everything worked, he said he was amazed (still says) how top drivers like Michael and Rubens would take so much time and effort in literally teaching how a driver works to setup a F1 car.

Ferrari was really happy with him, the entire team, and they told him, after that testing season that they wanted to see him applying it in the F1 races, hence why he went back to sauber, and eventually managed to beat a WDC champion villeneuve, Ferrari said if they were satisfied with his work they might offer him the opportunity of a lifetime, and as he says "for sure" Ferrari did.

Ferrari did the unthinkable (at least for most of us back then) took Felipe in 2006 to be Michael's teammate. they knew he would work for the team in that last season that marked the end of an era. He started out with a different race engineer, and soon it became clear that Rob from testing department back then, would be a wonderful fit for Felipe, he could help Felipe achieve his full potential in the team.

That's why there's this strong bond between felipe and Smedley, a bond that is so hard, that not by coincidence, Rob's contract at Ferrari has the dates exactly as Felipes, as Massa said himself, Rob is the race engineer that he wishes and wants to always have while in F1.

Now the reason i bring this story is because, with Perez what they are doing is alot like what Ferrari did in grooming with Massa, So it might not be impossible that ferrari chooses to keep Felipe for another year, as Perez gains more racing experience with sauber, and then potentially move to ferrari.

but again, all of this depends on what surprises Massa might bring us while he is a scuderia driver, if the boy starts performing the way he knows and can do (cause he has done it in 2008 and 2009) it would not be insanity to keep him in the team, since his chemistry with ferrari is already proven great, and also his chemistry with Fernando himself.

If Felipe is bringing in performances like the ones we know he can, it would be a whole different game, cause why would Ferrari put somebody else in Felipe's seat, if he is a proven asset, and the priority for ferrari is fernando winning WDC, with a good Massa we could start working to get both championship, as long as the team brings in a competitive car from the get go.

Just remember that after his 2008 season and 2009 (with a horrible car) he was pushing it so much, kinda like what fernando has been doing for us since his arrival, and remember how judging by the way he was last performing most of us were thinking that felipe could be up for a chalenge with fernando, maybe not winning, but at least being very close to what fernando is bringing in.

[racingbradley]

Thanks Poltergeistes for that insight into the Felipe situation.
As ever you have interesting information to bring to the table.
Let's hope he has some luck and his season reflects what he is capable of.