Stop whingeing, Felipe

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Felipe Massa’s peddling his hard luck stories again. Pass me the miniature violin:

Hopefully this weekend will go better than the last two in Australia. I have not been so lucky at this circuit in the past.

This after his claim that he lost last year’s title because of bad luck. No other driver chooses to constantly remind us of how hard done by he is.

He must have a short memory as his retirement in the 2006 race was his own doing. He tried to drive between two cars at the first corner and got spat into the barrier as a result. That’s not dumb luck, that’s dumb driving.

Last year he was held back by a gearbox problem in qualifying. That’s unlucky for him – but it’s not as if it didn’t happen to anyone else last year.

Fernando Alonso doesn’t go around whingeing about his gearbox failure at Magny-Cours, or Hamilton about his at Interlagos – without which either might have been champion last year. Massa seems to think he’s owed the title.

And don’t get me started on his griping about Silverstone last year.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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24 comments on “Stop whingeing, Felipe”

  1. We will see who the better racer is  at Ferrari this season with no T.C.Massa is just trying to plant his excuses early on so he can fall back on them later.If he REALLY wants to hear about reliabilty problems and bad luck he only needs to sit down with Kimi and ask him of his misfortunes in the past.

  2. It’s not only Massa complaining about his luck.  Since Senna’s death, brazilian press is using a clear, if boring, strategy: they say our next champion hasn’t arrived yet due to misfortune, rather than to poor driving.

    So, Barrichello was a victim of Ferrari’s discrimination, and now Massa is a victim of his bad luck… So, Felipe’s declarations are coherent with what his home press says about his situation…

    Luck DOES play a significant role, and for sure there is a misterious thing called "champion’s luck", that Kimi lacked until 2007, but that’s part of the sport, and there’s nothing we can do about it…

  3. Yes,those ones.

  4. Any excuse to drop a link in…

    Daniel, that’s an interesting point about the Brazilian press. I imagine Massa letting Raikkonen win last year didn’t help either?

  5. Massa only shines on a sunny day at a Tilke track starting from P1. Until he can show the consistent pace of a champion I won’t take him seriously as a championship contender.

  6. Massa is at Ferrari because he’s a good second driver… not a champion.
    He and Fisico are great at finding excuses, but they just arent good enough period!

  7. Big season for Massa. Is he Felipe Senna or Felipe Barichello?

    Most of this board reckons he will be the later. I have seen enough to bet on the former.

    As you said Daniel, a dash of luck can make some pretty big changes to your season.

  8. I’ve been suprised that Felipe has been som strongly opposed to the baning of TC- he seems to see it as a safety issue, while many of the veteran drivers apparently are happy that It’s gone. Perhaps he is trying to come up with an early excuse…

  9. In part, I agree with Daniel. In Brazil, Barrichelo is known as a loser. It is an injustice, but because he ran a Ferrari and never became even close to being a Senna, he is now a joke. Maybe this talking of Massa is just a way to escape that label. After all, he is the brazilian running a Ferrari now.

  10. I can’t play the violin for Felipe. Yes he has suffered some bad luck, but no more than normal. You want bad luck, Felipe? Talk to Mark Webber!
    And to me, Felipe hasn’t proven himself to be a world class driver. Every one of his victories have been in the dry and from pole. If you want to prove that you can be champion, Felipe, try winning a race from 2nd on the grid…

  11. have to agree with the peop-le saying he can only win on a sunny day from pole, unless he gets 8 or 9 poles this year he’ll never be close to champion, kimi will blow him away this year anbd i wouldnt be suprised if he finished outside the top four of the championship. he should have won at nurburgring last year but hethrew that away, he also threw away a victory at malaysia on a sunny day from pole…

  12. Hi all totally off the subject but trying to find out why Mclaren are in the middle of the pit lane in melbourne next to red bull? shouldn’t they be at the end next to super aguri? i did a walk down pit lane yesterday afternoon amazing scenes what a buz but i was left a little bewildered as to why they were there does anyone know why? 

  13. Bernie Ecclestone changed McLaren’s pit lane position so they could fit their motorhome in: Is Bernie Ecclestone sticking up for McLaren again?

  14. Keith: The funny thing about Massa letting Raikkonen pass at his home grand prix was that the brazilian press didn’t complain about it as you would suppose. Perhaps already used to Barrichello doing the same even when there was nothing to lose if he won (like Austria 2002, when Schumacher was confortably ahead in the standings), they thought that, since it was the only way to give Kimi the title, letting him pass would be acceptable.

    Oh, and don’t get me wrong. I agree with you that complaining about bad luck is useless, and diminishes your reputation… I’ve always respected Kimi for avoiding to do that even when everybody said he was the most unfortunate driver on the field.

    As for Massa, I have to admit he didn’t show a true champion’s form on a race day yet, but at least he is the fastest driver on a single lap… If he improves his race pace on time, he’ll give us our 9th driver’s championship… The thing is: time is running out…

  15. Whats with all you guys coming so hard at Felipe? I am not cutting an excuse for him nor am i a die hard fan of his. But i do think he has a valid point about his fortunes. This statement by felipe is no different to the statement by Kimi before the German GP last year when he said he hoped for better luck than in the past. Somehow that statement seems to have conveniently slipped past many.

    And does it occur to anyone that not only Lewis and Fernando lost their shot at the title due to mechanical failures but Massa was actually taken out of the title race due to mechanical failure in Monza?

    I think the fundamental problem lies in failure of people to admit that Felipe has developed in leaps and bounds and was a match to Kimi. The assumption was he will be comprehensively trounced. Let go off your preconceived notions from his Sauber days and the todt connection and may be then you can analyze his last year performance a little more objectively.

    I am not saying he is superior to Kimi, Lewis or Alonso. On the evidence of last year he was at least as good as all three and don’t be surprised if he operates in the same level this year.

  16. It’s not that Felipe has a valid point about his luck, it’s the fact that he keeps moaning about it in public, instead of getting his head down, working hard and proving that he’s better than Kimi Raikkonen and that it was all down to luck.

  17. Uppili, your Massa defense holds no water. You’ve conveniently chosen to ignore the following facts:
    1. Both Ferrari drivers were given equal status in 2007, and yet Kimi managed to win 6 races. How many did Massa win again?
    2. Both his wins in his entire career have come driving the fastest cars from pole position on sunny days on Tilke circuits. Hardly the stuff of legend.
    3. Point me to a single battle where Massa went toe-to-toe with a top class driver (Kimi, Fernando, Hamilton) and won. And if you do, please provide a link.
    4. Hungary 2007? A dazzling dash from 14th to 13th. Brilliant driving.
    5. Magny Cours 2007? Alonso made Massa his b*tch.

    If you rate him on par with drivers like Kimi, Lewis or Alonso, quite frankly, you’ve got your head up your ***.

  18. Ghost 2912,
    My reply to your comment is divided into three parts as a lengthy reply has been blocked by the spam filter. Here it is.

    First up, i have not ignored any facts about massa nor am i pleading he is the best thing since sliced bread! I am as much aware of his deficiencies as any other F1 fan. But, there are lot many drivers  who did/do half as good a job as felipe did LAST SEASON and get away with it. All i am telling as indicated in my original post that he doesn’t deserve the pounding that everyone seem to have given him and the general notion that he is not worthy of championship. Atleast in my mind, in 2008 if he manages to exactly do what he did last season and with a bit of fortune he would be a championship contender down to the wire.

    Having said that, here are the answers to your questions.

    1) Kimi won 6 and Massa won 3 races last season. Surely the numbers don’t look great. Does it? or is it actually? give back the brazil GP victory that mass had to gift to kimi as a team player. Suddenly the score looks Kimi-5, Massa-4.

    For the record AGAIN, i am not saying Massa is better than Kimi. I am saying he did as good a job as Kimi last year. Better than all of us expected him to.

  19. 2) while i do agree he has not won a GP yet chasing from behind, trivializing GP victories as victories in MERE tilke circuit is rather rude. By that logic, many of even Michael Schumacher’s victories as worthless!! Would you discount Hamilton’s Hungarian GP victory ONLY because he won that GP on a glorified carting track?

    3) You asked me for one wheel to wheel battle video. I am giving three. Enough said. Search for these EXACT keywords on youtube and you will get the videos i am referring to. (i suppose that three links at a time is what putting my replies into spam filter.) Here they are.

    1) Formula1 2007 Chinese Grand Prix-Start
    2) Spanish GP 2007 Start
    3) Massa vs Kubica to music! 2007 Japan Grand Prix

    4) Regarding hungary 2007, see last point of (2) for an answer. And if storming to front from the back in a racetrack where you can OVERTAKE is what you are asking for, then go back and look at 2007 british GP. Massa qualified 4, dropped to dead last due to a electronic stall and finished 4. Australia 2007, started dead last and finished 6 i a track where overtaking with 2007 aero was very difficult if not impossible. In case you still think it was not impressive enough, FYI Alonso started 10 and finished 6 in magny cours.

  20. 5) I suppose you are referring to German GP and not Magny Cours. Massa finishes 2 in Magny Cours and Fernando finsihed 6!! Could you please explain your excellent logic behind how Massa was Alonso’s b*itch in Magny Cours?!!!

    Last but not least, I am as much entitled to have an opinion as you are. While contesting and debating someone else’s opinion is your right, the least you could do was make your comments in a CIVILIZED language in a public blog. Healthy debates are what these public forums are meant for and while i don’t necessarily agree with your opinions, i certainly respect them for what they are. On the evidence of your post it doesn’t look like the respect is reciprocated. Swearing at someone with whose opinion you don’t agree with doesn’t make your opinion RIGHT. Thanks.

  21. Uppili,

    I apologize for being crass in my post.

    The bottom line, I think, is that we share different beliefs and thats the end of it, I guess. I think Massa is a mediocre driver (at best) who has the benefit of being in great machinery, and you think that he doesn’t deserve the criticism being leveled at him.
    Fair enough. I respect that. I also have to say that you present a very lucid and civilized argument.

    P.S: I think we can close this thread, but Australia and Sepang have  (unfortunately for you) weakened your argument considerably. :-)

    Take care.

  22. After his accident with a coiled spring courtesy of Barrichello, I think this thread is now put in a certain perspective.

    Now that’s definitely bad luck.

    1. Absolutely. Good news is he seems to be improving all the time.

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