Massa in Brazil on eve of season.

**Rob** · 10th March 2013, 20:07

Rio de Janeiro, 9 March –Before setting off for Melbourne and the first GP of the season, Felipe Massa flew to Rio de Janeiro to take part in the Race TNT Street, a free to watch motoring event organised by the Petropolis Group in Aterro do Flamengo, one of the most beautiful parts of the Brazilian city.

Massa took part in a press conference along with Douglas Costa, the Head of Marketing for TNT, the energy drink that is a Supplier to Scuderia Ferrari and, from this year, a sponsor of the team and it’s drivers. Felipe dealt with a whole host of questions from the assembled journalists.

“It’s a dream come true for me to drive a Ferrari Formula 1 car through the streets of the marvelous city of Rio de Janeiro,” commented the Brazilian. “There can be no greater thrill than drive the car with which I raced around the world, in my home country, on the streets in front of the fans who are always supporting me. And there can be no better place to host an event like this than Rio.” As to the coming Championship, Felipe said, “I think the potential is there to fight at the front, even if at the moment, we don’t know where we are compared to the other teams. Apart from those who have been competitive so far, like McLaren, Red Bull and Lotus, there is also Mercedes, who were very strong in winter testing.

“But the moment of truth will come next week in Australia, in qualifying. Today, what matters to me is knowing that I have done a good job and that I have got a good feeling from the car, which is well designed and also easier to drive than last year’s car.” Asked about his future, Massa expressed the desire to stay at Ferrari. “I don’t know what will happen, but definitely the aim is to stay with the most famous Formula 1 team, which has been like a second family to me for so many years. It will depend a lot on the results, therefore I’m not thinking too much about the future, but I am trying to concentrate only on the world championship which is about to start.” Felipe professed not to be concerned about what people said about him. “That’s all part of the world of Formula 1 and I think I have shown to those who had not bet on me, that I know how to deal with the difficult moments. After a very complicated first half to last season, I did not let myself be affected by everything I heard and I got back to being as competitive as ever and this year, I want to start with the same frame of mind.”

After the conference, Massa was a guest at a cocktail reception organised in his honour at the Rio de Janeiro Ferrari Store, the first in Brazil, opened by Via Italia, the official Prancing Horse importer, located within the prestigious Sao Conrado Fashion Mall.

http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/mas...zil-eve-season

**Massimo** · 10th March 2013, 23:39

Just what he needs, questions about his future at Ferrari, but after last year he should be able to handle them i think.

**sagi58** · 11th March 2013, 13:58

Massa seems to have handled those questions very well!

Let's not forget, any and all drivers on the grid are asked questions that may seem unfair or difficult to their respective fans; however, that's what journalists/reporters do! They ask those hard questions, in order to get "breaking news headlines"!

**fratelliferrari** · 11th March 2013, 14:03

I saw some videos of Felipe in Brazil doing some donuts! It was very nice to see and I can't wait to get underway this weekend again! Forza Massa!

**DIEK** · 11th March 2013, 14:14

Two persons wonded in this exhibition by Adolfo Cardoso driving his Ferrari 458 Italia:

VIDEO:

http://video.br.msn.com/watch/video/...-rio/1z78xf943

**wisepie** · 11th March 2013, 19:38

This guy deserves some positive results more than anyone else given the ups and downs of his career over the past few years. I believe he can do it and am sure he'll reward Ferrari for renewing his contract, we don't want any more talk about 2014 unless it's asking him to stay!

**Rob** · 11th March 2013, 19:55

Ferrari Energy on the streets of Rio

Rio de Janeiro, 10 March – Felipe Massa has just enjoyed a memorable Sunday in Rio de Janeiro as he took to a specially-constructed track along the streets of Aterro do Flamengo, an area to the north of the city, to kick off a unique motoring show. Having arrived in the Brazilian city yesterday to take part in the pre-event press conference, today the Brazilian driver opened the special event organised by TNT – the energy drink manufacturer that is Ferrari’s Official Sponsor. At the wheel of a Ferrari California, he led off a parade of 27 cars built by the Prancing Horse. He then put in a series of demonstration laps at the wheel of the F10, the car with which the Maranello team raced in the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship.

At the end of the event, before he left on the voyage that will take him to Australia for the first race of 2013, Massa said: “It was really emotional to drive along the streets of Rio at such a special event in front of people who usually only get to see me at the end of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. The emotion I felt and all the support I could sense around me will be an extra motivation to begin the season well! At the end of the straight there was a very fast bend that allowed me to go flat out and get close to 300kmh. But halfway along that straight I could see the flash of the radar cameras: if we consider the fact that I was going about 12 times too fast, I fear I might be getting a rather hefty fine…”