Comments on: Felipe Massa: a class act

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:09:29 +0000

Harkirat –

Your blog is surely a water cooler for Felipe’s detractors

Looking at the many positive comments about Massa on this post I don’t agree.

how many drivers have won the championship and weren’t on the podium to celebrate it?

I don’t know off the top of my head but I bet it’s not that uncommon. Senna and Prost must’ve done it at least once each, and Schumacher did it at least twice, last in 2003.

By: Harkirat

Harkirat — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:38:22 +0000

Hi Keith,

Your blog is surely a water cooler for Felipe’s detractors and may I say haters. But I just had one question to ask, how many drivers have won the championship and weren’t on the podium to celebrate it? Maybe an idea for a new post, or perhaps i should learn Spanish and post this on a Spanish Blog… just kidding

By: Terry Fabulous

Terry Fabulous — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:31:32 +0000

Good point Robert. Hungary is where it all went wrong for him. What a huge disappointment, 2 laps from the end.

By: Abhishek

Abhishek — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:32:40 +0000

i would like to say sorry to Glock whom i blamed much for Massa’s loss! – But i love racing and i experienced every nice moment it threw at Interlagos. Congro to Hamilton and Massa for providing such a spectacle.

By: Antonio

Antonio — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:05:20 +0000

@ the limit
u were just perfect in your comments.

please don’t blame the brazilian fans, we are very emotional but we actually do like hamilton.

By: John H

John H — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:55:53 +0000

All credit to Massa. Shame about the booing the whole weekend from the Brazilian fans though, but I guess that’s just the way it is.

I think though the ferrari was the better car – I’m sure if Alonso (or Hamilton) was in one they would have won the DWC long ago.

And Spa penalty aside, the real injustice would have been the Bourdais Fuji one… I’m not sure Massa would have really felt he had won it properly (I certainly wouldn’t) if Hamilton had been 6th in the end.

By: DASMAN

DASMAN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:46:53 +0000

All those that think the champioship would have been “tainted” had Felipe won it – would you have said the same last year if Hamilton had taken the title? Seeing as Mclaren were docked all their points and yet not the drivers? I don’t wish to drag up the whole spy saga once again, but perhaps everyone needs to accept whatever penalties were handed out, rightly or wrongly.
Both deserved this championship, but as they say – look at the scoreboard.

By: Robert Silvestre

Robert Silvestre — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:22:38 +0000

Give SPA back to Lewis and demote Felipe to 2nd place. Take away the extra point Felipe got from the Bourdais’ incident, but give him Hungary, and he would be the Champion today. Felipe didn’t lose the championship in Brazil… he lost it in Hungary. It wasn’t meant to be.

By: Lustigson

Lustigson — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:37:46 +0000

@ the limit
Well spoken, mate.

By: the limit

the limit — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:02:09 +0000

You hit the nail on the head Keith. Those people who claim that Felipe Massa will only ‘get one shot at the title’, in the Eddie Irvine sort of way, do not appreciate Massa’s position.
His stock has without a doubt risen, and the respect he has achieved throughout the season has risen too. I can remember reading one story, shortly after Ferrari’s disastrous Singapore Grands Prix, inwhich Massa comforted a Ferrari mechanic who was crying his eyes out. According to the article, Massa told the heartbroken mechanic that ‘we win as a team, we lose as a team’.
My God, most drivers would tear the garage to pieces if that happened to them, but Massa excepted it. It was just one of those things, as was the engine blow up in Hungary. What can you do, what can you say? You learn what you can, and you move on!
This is the same guy that shoved an Arrows up an escape road at the 2002 Monaco Grands Prix at almost full speed. The same guy, who we all thought, we had seen the last of. He really has to rate, as one of the biggest ‘come back’ drivers of the modern era. So close to the edge to being so close to the summit. A remarkable story.
In the press conferance that followed his defeat in the championship, Massa maintained his dignity and did not once blame anybody else. No whining, no pity was asked. Just a man who had done his best, tried his hardest, and had been undone by circumstances no one could have predicted.
Around him, were two of the most highly paid, highly rated drivers of the last two decades. Both sat ashen faced and uncomfortable, as if they wanted that taxi to airport so badly. These were the men Massa had beaten, men that, if three years ago you would have said would have lost to Felipe Massa, you ‘ALL’ would have laughed.
So much for money, good contracts, and all the kudos. Nothing is more valuable than the human will to improve, and sheer guts and determination. Massa will be a world champion, there is simply no doubt about it.