Massa wants shorter F1 races
Felipe Massa wants F1 testing to count towards the championship
With the Formula 1 teams’ association set to announce its plans for the future of F1 (more on that later) Felipe Massa has served up a side show to the main event with some entertainingly barmy suggestions of his own.
He wants F1 races to be shorter: “because in the last 15 laps nobody cares about the race any more.” I remember the last few laps of the Belgian and Brazilan rounds last year being the best action we saw all year thanks to some late rain showers we would have missed if the races had been 15 laps shorter.
But that’s nothing compared to Massa’s next idea, which can only be parody:
Friday is not so important for the show, so you can use the Saturday morning, and take away the Friday, and do two, three or four (test) sessions during the season, not together, separated, making a testing championship.
Maybe the winner has a bonus for the championship, or whatever you want to give.
A testing championship? Surely he didn’t suggest that seriously?
Hopefully FOTA’s plans will be much better than this when they announce them.
Massa concluded by saying: “If everybody has an opinion and suggests ideas, all together we can make a good championship.” In which case my opinion is that we all ignore Massa’s suggestions, and instead file them under “things we’ll pretend he never said” along with ‘Silverstone isn’t flat enough’.
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StrFerrari4Ever said on 4th March 2009, 21:23
seems that tache he was sporting at the start of this year has made him go a bit cuckoo well Massa stick to the job mate your at Ferrari so you shouldn’t be moaning get on with the job and show us what your here to do Geezer :)
gabal said on 4th March 2009, 21:28
Oh God, what an awfull, awfull idea…
Ali said on 4th March 2009, 21:29
Massa, oh please, when races would get shorter, you’ll still have last 15 or so laps unless we’ll have 14-lap or no race! Come on, if you omit last 15 days ’cause you think we don’t care(!), then new shorter races will also have last laps. Last laps are unavoidable Massa, get used to them. I know Hungary and Brazil are still pain in the ass, OK, but everything has a begining has an end Massa. You’d better be prepared to focus the whole race.
Btw, I always thought drivers want to do racing instead of silly and dull testing. Massa just shocked me.
chaostheory said on 4th March 2009, 21:38
No fridays – fine, but shorter races? – no way. If I was in charge I would made 5 hours races – I love long races :D And his argumentation that last laps are boring is just stupid (to me): if last 10 laps of 2 hours race are boring then the same can happen to last ten laps of one hour race, just like it can be that last 10 laps of 2 hours race can be amazing like it was in Belgium’08.
But i’m happy its not Max or Bernies ideas.
Robert McKay said on 4th March 2009, 21:40
“Btw, I always thought drivers want to do racing instead of silly and dull testing. Massa just shocked me.”
Yes, not exactly comments of a racer now, are they.
Maybe he said it to win a bet or something. Maybe Massa is being impersonated by a doppelganger.
Daniel said on 4th March 2009, 21:41
“Testing championship” is a stupid idea, shorter races are really bad, but there’s a fine proposition in what he said, that is to take the Friday away and, on the other hand, allow some testing sessions, even though I think that having a shorter Grand Prix week won’t impact that much in terms of costs, since the transportation expenses remain the same… what they could do is make longer Grand Prix weekends, using the thrusday
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 4th March 2009, 21:47
This is looking like one of those rare things we all agree on, like Martin Brundle being hired by the BBC for 2009…
zerogee said on 4th March 2009, 21:53
@fakemaxmosley suggested Massa had to get over his height complex.
Massa is such a twerp. I was almost liking him after his dignified response to losing the WDC last year but now he’s back to being a spoiled brat.
Daniel said on 4th March 2009, 21:58
no fridays, shorter races, fewer cars finishing the race due to testing cuts and still €400 for a weekend grand stand seat! no thanks!
RaceTripper said on 4th March 2009, 22:08
As I noted on Twitter, I think Phil likes to open his mouth to switch feet. he seems to do it a lot.
Chaz said on 4th March 2009, 22:28
Oh dear, I’m speechless…
jonathan102 said on 4th March 2009, 22:36
that comment just made him look EXTREMELY stupid. a testing championship? what the heck does that even mean? just stick to the driving Felipe.
John H said on 4th March 2009, 22:51
hehe… but Massa does have a history of pretty childish and brainless comments, so to be expected.
Damon said on 4th March 2009, 22:52
Robert McKay: “Btw, I always thought drivers want to do racing instead of silly and dull testing. Massa just shocked me.”
- Yup. It’s as if Michael Jordan proposed that instead of him and his team playing basketball games, people should watch him tieing his shoes. Or as if Jenna Jameson proposed people watch her brushing teeth.
ajokay said on 5th March 2009, 8:54
With regards to Jenna Jameson brushing her teeth, I’m sure there is a collective of people out there would would pay plenty to see that.
Rob Wilson said on 4th March 2009, 23:16
if bernie reads this comments page lmao he’ll find that 99% of the fans think these massa ideas are stupid me included….if the races were 15 laps shorter, it would be less of an event if you see what i mean…