FIA F1 - Massa: I’m More Motivated Than Ever For 2013

Modena, Dec. 30, 2012: Ferrari’s Felipe Massa says that his motivation is stronger than ever ahead of the 2013 season after finishing the second half of 2012 in impressive fashion. After scoring just 23 points in the first ten races of the year, Massa picked up 99 points and two podium finishes in the remaining ten to lift himself to seventh in the final drivers’ standings.

“This has been a very difficult year for me, especially at the start, when we couldn’t find the right way to move forward with our car,” said the Brazilian, speaking at Ferrari’s annual Christmas get-together in Maranello.

“The second part was very different: I was more competitive and, thanks to the strength I got from all of you, I managed to get back to the way I was before. Now I am more motivated than ever: the second part of the season was like a training session for next year. In 2013, I really want to come back to this event to celebrate something even better together with all of you!”

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was full of praise for the way Massa turned his 2012 campaign around.

“I don’t know where you went in the first part of the year,” he joked to Massa, “but I am very pleased you came back, both because it meant we were able to finish ahead of major teams in the constructors’ classification, but also because it is important for next year.”

But Di Montezemolo warned that Ferrari must raise their game and ensure they start next season with a competitive car if they are to win a championship in 2013.

“To win in Formula One, one needs to do everything perfectly: we can be pleased with the improvements we have made on the strategy front, at the pit stops and in our race preparation and we must maintain these strong points next year too,” he said.

“We lacked a car that was quicker than the others and we must reflect carefully on how that happened and come up with a response, because in 2013, the aim, not just for me, but for all of you, is to immediately have a car that’s capable of winning. We must all do a little bit more to achieve that, but without losing any of the plus points we demonstrated this year, starting with reliability.”