Felipe Massa covered 400km – around 20 laps more than a Grand Prix distance – at the Circuit de Catalunya today.
He was back behind the wheel of the F2008, the car in which he almost won the 2008 championship.
The team have not yet released details of his lap times for comparison with , but here’s a few pictures of Massa in action:
Image (C) Ferrari spa
Ed
22nd January 2010, 18:23
It must be tempting for him not to use the silly chicane on a day such as this and just take the more traditional faster corners. ;)
spawinte
22nd January 2010, 18:25
He probably destroyed Rossi’s lap time. I hope so anyway :) Can’t have a dirty biker getting one over on an F1 man.
James
22nd January 2010, 18:41
It would hardly be a surpise. Conditions look dry here whereas Rossi’s look damp/wet.
Massa will be more familiar with the car as well
David
22nd January 2010, 19:17
If we want to be suspicious we could also consider the hypothesis that ROssi was much faster than Massa. Embarassing also, insn’t it? Probably even more embarassing than the opposite.
Anyway, if he always drove New Holland bend with no chicane you cannot make any comparison…
George
22nd January 2010, 18:41
It’s weird seeing Santander on Ferrari overalls
Becken
22nd January 2010, 18:42
No lap times? Mmmmmmmm….
Eric
23rd January 2010, 9:18
I agree, I find this kind of disconcerting.
Random Chimp
22nd January 2010, 19:03
Is it me or is the ride height ridiculously high in the title image?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd January 2010, 0:24
Certainly looks that way. I wonder if that was at the end of a long stint or something?
Woffin
23rd January 2010, 0:53
By the looks of it, I would say the rear right corner of the car is raised because Massa is braking and turning right at the same time. The weight looks like its shifted to the front left (because the ride height at the front looks lower than normal) and unloaded the rear right, probably warming his brakes up for the lap ahead. Although I do admit, it does look pretty extreme even if it is just weight transfer.
Joe Jones
23rd January 2010, 12:30
surely the coils and suspension in an f1 car are progressive though
steph90
22nd January 2010, 19:03
So far everyone has been going well. He can survived, has been given the all clear to drive, has won kart races, that Panda race and done a fair bit of testing. It’s all excellent news and every time I feel another bit of relief but we aren’t going to know if he is the same F1 driver until Felipe is at Bahrain.
It’s all really good and if any one of those steps had gone badly then it would be career over but it’s still not certain. There’s still that slight chance that he will have lost a tenth or two. If he is back on the pace I think he’ll need a win before everyone and possibly himself are convinced. It will also more than likely take a few races until he is comfortable again in the F1 racing environment.
I’m sure he can do it but it’s just a waiting game and it must be incredibly frustrating at times for the Brazilian. He’s shown true fighting spirit and dedication coming this far and clearly has utter passion for the sport. He just has to wait a little longer until it is clear and hopefully he will be right back at the front.
BBQ2
22nd January 2010, 19:11
Hmmm, I wonder why the red-car-brigade did not find one excuse or the other for Teflonso to test the 08 car? I would like to see him in a Ferrari prior to season start….. Oh! I am not his fan….. just to make it clear ;-). Just want Felipe to show him the way. :-)
Carl27
22nd January 2010, 23:51
What a great and constructive comment! Thank you.
MattB
22nd January 2010, 19:20
Hmmmmmm…. had forgotten how ugly that car was!
Fabio
22nd January 2010, 19:52
Matt you are rigth, that car was very ugly, loved the new F1, they have some sort of vintage look, more romantic lines…
matt90
23rd January 2010, 14:22
The one good thing about the new tall wings is that it makes the shark fins look far less ridiculous and tall themselves.
ErBearJ24
22nd January 2010, 20:15
I can’t wait to get to Bahrain to see which Felipe Massa will show up. I would like to see his lap times today, as compared to Valentino Rossi’s. One would expect that Massa would have the faster times of the two. I must say that I am very nervous ahead of his return, as I feel his return to the track seemed a bit rushed when he would possibly drive in the last 1 or 2 races of the season. For Massa’s sake, I hope that he is the same fierce driver, before the accident. He and Alonso will take the fight to each other on day one, and it’s going to be rather exciting!
Terry Fabulous
22nd January 2010, 20:52
Right on Bear, it will be one of the more interesting stouches on the grid.
Becken
22nd January 2010, 20:58
Keith – Did you notice that Ferrari tested the new tyres to 2010? At least it is what they said in their site:
At least this explain why they didn´t published Felipe laps times.
loCCan
22nd January 2010, 21:14
Yes doesn’t it look like the rear tires are wider than the front in the picture?
Peter
22nd January 2010, 21:37
They are GP2 tyres.
Woffin
23rd January 2010, 0:56
I think it was lost in translation :) the article is stating that Felipe used ‘demonstration’ tyres, aka GP2 tyres, because the current rules say you are not allowed to test.
Hairs
22nd January 2010, 22:23
Amazing that people have been complaining the 2009 cars are ugly. Look at that thing – it looks like it’s been in an accident! The back half of it is missing and the rest is in bits. Forgot how weird it was.
graigchq
23rd January 2010, 0:47
hear hear..i honestly think the 2009 cars looik a lot better for being simpler, lower, wider. All that extra bodywork that’s spliced and tacked on for extra downforce, just detracts from the clean lines that these cars should (and now do) have
PJA
23rd January 2010, 8:54
I think the main problem with the 2009 cars was that the wings looked out of proportion. But I agree that by 2008 the cars had too many ugly aero pieces.
steph90
23rd January 2010, 11:50
08 cars really did just look like hammer head sharks. 09s are far from perfect but I know which I prefer
mani
23rd January 2010, 5:55
it is good for Massa, getting some track time before his return. closer we get to the season start, the slower the time seem to pass!!!! can’t wait to see the new cars…
heliwave
23rd January 2010, 6:54
Massa apparently did a 1:20.683 and 1.20.591 laps in a row.
Sorry, just kidding :) Have a good day everone and hope for a fantastic 2012 season.
i heart lewis
23rd January 2010, 7:52
i forgot how ugly the shark fin was on the 2008 cars. At least it doesn’t look so terrible on the cars they have now
Bren
23rd January 2010, 13:16
i suspect that lap times havent been given out as if ferrari are smart they would been getting massa to do heavy fuel long runs as prep for the new season. not drop of fuel sprints like rossi was doing earlier in the week.
Bren
23rd January 2010, 13:23
thinking about it everyone is also forgetting kimis lap time was with alot of fuel due to the qualy rules in Q3.
his fastest time was 1-20.7 so an extra second, add that with the slick tyres and the 2008 car in its quicker end of season spec. your looking at difference of 3 seconds or more.
still mighty impressive but nothing for massa to get worried about!
VXR
23rd January 2010, 15:33
Massa was slower than Rossi apparently. Rossi is now having second thoughts about his decision to only “have a bit of fun” in an F1 car.
Should ‘third cars’ be necessary or things not work out with Massa, then Rossi is your man.
Scribe
24th January 2010, 14:17
Massa used low grip demonstration tyres, Rossi used GP2 tyres.
Rossi was given an optimised car for a best possible lap time while Massa was given a car made harder because they wanted to test him harder.
antizyklon
23rd January 2010, 15:40
I bet he’s testing something completely different to Rossi, look how different the rear wing looks
Massa: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/mass_ferr_barc_2010_f2008-6.jpg
Rossi: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ross_ferr_barc_day2_2010-12.jpg
VXR
23rd January 2010, 20:18
Just differing wing configurations, which I’m sure both will have used.
mani
24th January 2010, 9:49
I think, Massa has tested the car with 2010 ride height configuration. Higher ride hight and low fuel load is one of the obvious situations 2010 cars will have to manage!!!
Alejandro
23rd January 2010, 19:41
Yes !!! Massa was slower than Valentino Rossi.
Alejandro
23rd January 2010, 19:56
Why keep Massa after getting hit in the head? For sure he was slower than Rossi. But Ferrari doesn’t want to acknowledge it. What about Raikkonen? He’s a world champion, and always better than Massa. It’s all about the money, and who can buy their own seat in F1… like Alonso did.
Scribe
24th January 2010, 14:19
well thats pure bile, Massa was easily holding his own against Raikkonen in 08 and 09.
And Alonso is being paid 19mill, hardly a pay driver, no double world champion buys himself a seat.
Alejandro
23rd January 2010, 19:59
Why keep Massa after getting hit in the head? . What about Raikkonen? He’s a world champion, and always better than Massa. It’s all about the money, and who can buy their own seat in F1… like Alonso did.
steph90
23rd January 2010, 21:17
I’m not sure that is entirely true. Massa beat Kimi in 08 and for 09 when he was in it. Kimi was a superb driver but only when he wanted to be. I doubt a team like Ferrari care as much for money when they can get any sponsor they want.
Paul
23rd January 2010, 20:22
Seems to me that Felipe’s car has got less wing downforce. Maybe because the track was drier. Anyway, let’s await Valencia’s testing.
Jess
24th January 2010, 3:55
What would it matter on lap times when he is in a car outdated car. I do look forward to seeing him on the grid.
Scribe
24th January 2010, 14:22
Also don’t forget, the F2008 they’re driving they’re is a much updated Brazil spec beast to the one that actuallly visited Spain in 2008.
Another reason it would have been a lot faster then the spain spec 08 and 09 cars.
Bren
24th January 2010, 16:08
massa would of been running a skinny wing to emulate the lower downforce settings of the 2009-10 cars.
they were testing totally different things, for different reasons. rossi was just driving. massa was actually testing stuff. fuel levels, ride height, tyre wear on heavy fuel, etc etc.
the lap times cant be compared.
only massa 08 Q2 time can be compared to Rossis low fuel lap. in which massa was 2 seconds faster, with grooved tyres.
not need to get excited yet.
Ylan Marcel
24th January 2010, 18:32
Great Massa! Go and defeat Alonso!
The Nude Wizard
24th January 2010, 22:16
from James Allens blog as i hadnt seen lap times mentioned anywhere else –
“Rossi lapped Barcelona in 1m 21.9 seconds, in a 2008 car with 2009 tyres. The following day Massa put the performance in context when he went almost three seconds faster, setting a time in the 1m 18s”
and yeah i know it appears they were driving different chasis/wings as per the 268 chasis sticker on the nose on Massa’s car which was missing from the car Rossi drove and the smaller wing from what i can from photos was the same/similar to that Kimi won with in 08 on the same circuit but interesting none the less.
bren
25th January 2010, 5:12
when kimi won in 2008 he was using a 2 piece rear wing as rossi did.
massa one piece would be slower, and done to emulate the 2009-10 lower downforce levels.
heliwave
25th January 2010, 6:59
Massa said after the test:
“It was a perfect way to optimise my form here in Barcelona. I’m really happy that I had this new opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 single-seater on a race track. I can’t wait to sit in the new car and get stuck in.”
I think we can read between the lines that mass was actually SLOWER than at lease what he expected.
The 1.18 James Allens is mere speculation.
I bet Alonso is excited by the non-news :)
We should wait and see how much testing Ferrari will give to Fisi as he might be needed within few races.
Shame, I really like Massa and his never-weaving determination. (Unlike some icecream suckers :)