Question: Felipe, a podium on return from injury for you. But tell us about that turn one battle with Fernando from your point of view.
Felipe Massa: Well, first of all it is just fantastic to be here, so thanks God that everything is great, being here, competitive, with a good car and being right through the whole race with normal and very good pace. It is really thanks to God that I am fine. I am very happy and thanks to everybody who was supporting me in a difficult time at home, every country, I received incredible letters and nice message which gave me even more motivation. The race was really good and fantastic for us. It was a bit strange for me. I did not have a good start and I lost a position, an important position, to Fernando at the first corner. The race was just great for me, the car was perfect. I could manage to follow him for the whole time on the soft tyres and then we put the hard tyres on, I was so quick straight away and I caught him in a very good way. Then I started to have a problem, definitely the whole race in terms of temperature in the car. That made a lot of fuel consumption, so I started to save fuel maybe in the last 25 laps, even 30 laps to go. I was saving fuel and there was nothing to do anymore. I was also lucky with the problem with Sebastian Vettel to pass him and gain some more points and I was lucky that Lewis was not so quick at the end, so I could manage to save a lot of fuel and also hold the position. It was not an easy race but just a fantastic result for the team who did a great job, for Montezemolo who was pushing very hard since last year. I was speaking a lot to him, so it is very nice this position. I am very happy. It was also my best start of the season, finishing on the podium, second, in the first race. That is something I never did so it is just a fantastic start.
Question: Tell us about the start as that was also important for you?
Felipe Massa: The start was good. I think on the clean here there is a difference. There is a bit of sun close to the walls, so the start was more or less okay and the first corner was also good and I was lucky to overtake Felipe and then with the problem for Vettel, overtake Vettel as well and finish first. Obviously the qualifying and the starts are maybe the two key points this year. Unfortunately with no refuelling in terms of strategy or in terms of overtaking it will be very difficult to see any. After the first corner more or less the positions will be settled.
Question: Felipe, also your start. Where did you feel you lost out?
Felipe Massa: Well, I just had a very bad start with no grip, so I couldn’t go forward and also in the first braking I just lost the opportunity to be there fighting. I did the first corner inside but then Fernando was in a good position outside and at the corner it was to his side, so there was nothing to do. But apart from this I was really happy with the balance of the car, so it was okay to follow in the good direction whatever tyres I used, so the car was just fantastic. Unfortunately I had to save fuel for about 30 laps which lost me completely the chance to do even a small fight.
Question: Do you know why you had to save that fuel as they were pointing at something on the car?
Felipe Massa: No, I know it is regarding the temperature in the car. But we need to see, so I cannot say.
Question: Felipe, do you expect that the next races could follow in a similar pattern, meaning an early first stop and that’s it?
Felipe Massa: Well, I expect that the next race will be very difficult, competitive. We saw today that we maybe have some other very strong teams. We had really, really strong Red Bull with two cars, so we maybe have a good car to fight, we have McLaren which can be there and can improve the car, maybe Mercedes, so maybe some surprises. We know that it will be difficult. We also need to understand the strategy that we did in this race, and also in what direction the tyres will be and also try to understand the strategy, where you can gain, where it’s more difficult. I think it’s difficult to expect how the next track is going to be. It’s a very different circuit and layout to here, but we need to gain experience from this race and try to understand many things for the future.
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