Fantastic to have 2 more years with Ferrari - Massa

With the rain tapping on the roof of the tent that serves as the Media Centre at the circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Felipe Massa was on the FIA panel along with four other drivers today. “Montreal is a great place to be,” the Brazilian said.

“The people here love F1, because they have so much history linked to the Villeneuve family. I have never won here, but I like the track, which has some similarities to Melbourne, but with very long straights.”

Asked about his new contract to the end of 2012 with the Scuderia, Massa summed up his feelings: “It’s fantastic: to have two more years with Ferrari shows everyone here trusts me and it gives me further motivation to keep pushing. It is everything I wanted, as I had always dreamed of being a Ferrari driver and now I am already in my fifth year with the team.” As for this weekend, the Brazilian knows he and the team face a tough challenge: “our target is always the same, which is to be the best, but so far Red Bull and McLaren have proved to be stronger and in Turkey, we were even behind Mercedes and Renault, so this weekend we must try and change that situation. After the controversial incident involving the two Red Bull drivers in Turkey, Felipe was asked if Ferrari gave its drivers specific instructions about what to do in these situations. “We have no team orders, but of course we know we have to respect the team and not try anything dangerous,” explained the Brazilian. “If you see your team-mate in front and you feel you are quicker, then of course you will try and pass. All drivers enjoy overtaking moves, but you have to be sensible.”

This is a busy weekend for sport in general, with the start of the football World Cup, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hour races. “I enjoy watching it and respect its reputation,” said Felipe, when asked if he would like to compete in the endurance event. “It is a very important race, but it is completely different to Formula 1, which means you drive in a different style because it lasts 24 hours and is not a sprint. Maybe one day I could do this race, but for now my focus is purely on F1.”