Massa Blog - Post after Indianapolis
Sao Paulo, 4th July 2006 - I am back home in Sao Paulo now,
as I am not part of this week's testing programme. I am still
feeling very happy about my second place in Indianapolis.
It was a fantastic sensation being on that podium with such
a big crowd, with Michael next to me and lots of Brazilian
flags waving from the grandstands opposite.
I think Sunday's race was very good for the future of Formula
1 in the USA and it was also very good for Ferrari and for
me, as I feel I did drive a really good race and was able
to push all the way. Racing is not just about speed, you also
need to be intelligent, especially when you are fighting for
a championship and so last weekend really was a perfect job
from my point of view and from the team perspective also.
On top of that, it has really given us all even more motivation
to keep pushing all the way to the end of the season. On a
personal level, this is my best result and so it is important
for me in terms of my career, as you need to be at the front
of the field to be noticed.
After such a dominant performance from us this weekend, I
was often asked if this was a sign that Ferrari is back on
top. Firstly, I would say that the team has been very near
the top for a few races now, but circumstances meant that
was not always so obvious. On top of that, in Indy, the other
tyre company I am sure adopted a more conservative approach
than usual in terms of the performance of its tyres, after
events last year. When we are back in Europe, I expect the
competition to get harder for us again and that we will not
look so dominant. But in Indy, we showed that our Bridgestone
can work at very high temperatures, which we will see now
in the European summer. Also, we have some evolutions coming
on the car, so combining this and some advantages from our
tyres, I think we can be very competitive.
I am staying here in Brazil until Tuesday, where I will be
relaxing, seeing my family and going to the gym. I am not
a hundred percent crazy about fitness training, but the gym
I use is popular with other racing drivers and so I find it
much nicer to always train with some other people, as it makes
the time pass more quickly.
|
