Testing report
Formula 1
Massa satisfied with return to testing in Barcelona despite the weather
Felipe Massa: "A lot of teams will be competitive."
Edited: Mar 1, 2013, 6:59 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Barcelona, 28 February – Felipe Massa’s day at the wheel of the F138 started the way last Friday had ended, with bad weather again affecting work at the Catalunya Circuit. The track, on the outskirts of Barcelona, is hosting the third and final winter test, which runs from today until Sunday. All the same, it was a positive day for the Ferrari man, because the weather was definitely a bit better, especially in the afternoon, when a few rays of sunshine appeared as the rain stopped, allowing the driver and team to complete the planned programme of a race simulation.
With only a few days of testing – just twelve in total – the last session is usually given over to going through the procedures the team personnel will carry out at every official track session over a race weekend, from Melbourne right through to Sao Paolo. Even if the weather didn’t help, Felipe Massa reckoned he was pleased with how the day had gone. “In the morning I did some long runs, testing both types of wet weather tyre with different set-ups to find the best balance on the car,” he said. “Then, in the afternoon I managed to complete a race simulation. The car worked well at all times, even in the very different track conditions and I’m happy because, despite the tyre degradation being high, it was interesting to understand their behaviour.
“It’s hard to know what is the real pecking order in the field,” continued the Brazilian. “It’s still too early to say where the others are and where we are, but what is easy to say is that a lot of teams will be competitive. My lap times seemed good and, in the afternoon, when I fitted the dry tyres while the track was still damp, I was one of the quickest. Then, just as the track began to dry in the final half hour of running time, I had done all my planned laps and by then my tyres were well worn, which meant I couldn’t improve. However, this was an important step: we have completed a race distance without any problems or glitches. As for the tyres, it’s true that they degrade quickly, but it’s also normal that this should be the case. We know the tyres have changed since last year and they have been designed specifically with that in mind: it’s an idea introduced this year to increase the number of pit stops, but honestly, apart from a few times when the compounds will be softer than expected, I think there will just be one more pit stop than last year.”
Lastly, Felipe commented on the developments expected here for the weekend. “Today, we had a few small modifications compared to last week, while on Saturday and Sunday we will test the Australian configuration. We know the car is improving: our aim is to arrive in Melbourne with a good base on which to build our season.”
February 28 - day one
Circuit: Catalunya Circuit, Montmelo - 4.655 km
Driver: Felipe Massa
Car: Ferrari F138 Weather: air temperature 8/10°C, track temperature 8/12 °C. Rain in the morning, then brightening in the afternoon.
Laps/km completed: 112/521
Best time: 1:27.541
Testing continues at this circuit tomorrow, with Fernando Alonso driving.
Ferrari
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Webber fastest in wet and windy Barcelona on first day of final preseason testing
Next article Winter leaves F1 'unprepared' for 2013 season
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Fernando Alonso
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Formula 1
Formula 1 20 h
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
4 d
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
More from
Ferrari
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 d
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Latest news
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
General
Misc General 1 h
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
8 h
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Homestead
8 h
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe