In the crosshairs. Because he made a mistake in Malaysia, before the start, then he failed at overtaking Lewis Hamilton, ending up in the grass. Under pressure. Because he started on equal terms with Kimi Räikkönen and after seven races, he only obtained seven points, the same as Giancarlo Fisichella with Renault, cursing the gearbox in Australia, but only himself during the race of last Sunday, which should have set off his triumph, and instead saw him finishing fifth. These are tough days for Felipe Massa, on holiday in Dubai, but already thinking about the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Brazilian driver knows that he is already at a crossroads. Ferrari, after having bet on a single driver for years, the unbeatable Michael Schumacher, decided to change philosophy, letting the stopwatch and the points in the standings dictate the hierarchies. Nevertheless, they might be forced to make certain choices, not to run the risk of letting Fernando Alonso irretrievably pull ahead of his rivals. This is already a debated topic in the team, and Felipe Massa is aware of it. It was him, in the winter, who sent out a clear message:
"At the beginning, we’re free to race, but then the team will consider the standings and it will impose its own interests. I know the car better than Räikkönen, I’ve been in Ferrari for a year now, I start with an advantage, and I must use it. I’m going for the Championship straight away. If I win the first few races, the team will have to support me".
It did not go as he hoped, and now those words may have the opposite effect. It was Kimi Räikkönen who won the race and finished on the podium in the second one, it was he who could claim greater support, above all if he finishes in front of his teammate in Bahrain as well. Felipe Massa is aware of the threat. And it is no doubt that he feels pressured:
"I made a mistake, but I’m not the only one responsible for Ferrari’s defeat. On Friday and Saturday our cars were flying, but suddenly lost edge on Sunday, they became slower than the McLarens".
In other words, it is fine to question the driver, but you also need to consider that the car was no longer the rocketship we thought it was. Who has been coming to his rescue since Sunday is Nicolas Todt, who not only is the son of Ferrari’s managing director, but also the drivers’ manager:
"Felipe is still a champion. It’s normal that in McLaren they decided to prioritise Alonso, they have a World Champion and a kid like Hamilton. In Ferrari, Räikkönen and Massa are already two mature champions. Those who criticise Felipe don’t bother me. He has a great strength of character".
That better be as his manager says, because the pressure is set to increase. And Bahrain turns into a sort of last chance.
"On that track, I always had good results. Last year I missed pole by a few hundredths, and I had just arrived in Ferrari, during the race I fell behind due to a tyre and a pit stop that lasted 50 seconds. In the winter, while testing, I was the best almost every time. Ferrari will be back at the top, and I’ll prove what I’m capable of".
A must. Otherwise, there will be no stopping the trials. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Fisichella says that Fernando Alonso is lucky.
"Last year, in June, he regretted leaving Renault for McLaren. On the contrary, he came across a fantastic car, while mine is 1.5 seconds per lap slower".
But Fernando Alonso, great enemy of Ferrari also in Bahrain, shows off his own merits with pride.
"In my life, I’ve never worked this hard. I managed to motivate the team, which improved a lot. Compared to Ferrari, we were behind, but now we are ahead of them, and catching up".
Kimi Räikkönen replies:
"No panic, we’re only two points away. Fear can lead us to stupid mistakes during the race, we win here and set things right".
Friday morning’s practice session saw both Ferraris lead the time sheets, with Kimi Räikkönen setting the fastest time of 1'33"162 and his teammate, Felipe Massa, just over half a second slower than the Finnish in second place. The Italian team's nearest competitors were the two McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who arrived third and fourth respectively, with Lewis Hamilton just under a second slower than Kimi Räikkönen. Kimi Räikkönen was fastest again in the afternoon session, setting a time of 1'33"527, just under four tenths slower than his fastest time during the morning session. Unlike the morning, however, Ferrari did not have both cars occupying the top two places, given that Massa was fourth fastest, with Hamilton and the BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica separating the two Ferraris. It is six thousandths of a second that prevented Räikkönen from being fastest in all three practice sessions, but his run was ended by Lewis Hamilton, with the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld in third place, Robert Kubica in fourth, Anthony Davidson's Super Aguri in fifth, and Felipe Massa completing the top six, four tenths slower than Lewis Hamilton.
"When Ferrari puts everything together, their course always ends up being the most delicious".
The chef is not afraid, he is ready to fight, despite the two Ferraris systematically ending up in front, in both the first and second free practice sessions, with Kimi Räikkönen as leader, and Felipe Mass right behind in the morning and fourth in the afternoon. The solid Spaniard does not know fear, but that outstanding time of the Finnish driver over the course of the opening session annoyed him a bit:
"It’s an impressive time and I wouldn’t be able to set it, not even with an empty tank".
This is a time that excites Ferrari, eager to bounce back after the poor performance in Malaysia, which relegates the McLarens at approximately one second behind during the morning, and increases the interest about the great duel of the desert, two teams, four drivers, and the void all around, if we exclude the exploit of Robert Kubica, aggressive Polish driver capable of bringing BMW back to unthinkable results, and third during the second session. The fight between Ferrari and McLaren is heated and Alonso, the driver with the most points, as well as character, is the first to acknowledge that.
"They never give up, they didn’t stand out in Malaysia, but here they’re back at being the team to beat. Nonetheless, I’m a fully-fledged participant in the battle, and I’m not someone who gives up, either. I think that it’s fundamental to start at the front, the second row might endanger everything, the third and fourth rows would make the race a disaster. It’ll be a close fight, I don’t know how much fuel Räikkönen and Massa will use, but pole position here can turn out to be a crucial step forward. I expect a thrilling qualifying, during the afternoon we were all more or less on the same level, it could be a matter of centimetres, a small mistake in a corner or in the set-up of the car, and you’re finished".
This is a Saturday for real drivers, a prelude to the big fireworks on Sunday, where the race could be won already during the first metres of the track, as Malaysia and the false start of Felipe Massa taught us. Fernando Alonso understood that he must beware of Lewis Hamilton, as well, the running mate that preceded him both in the morning and in the afternoon, but who precisely aims at making the difference with the sprint at the start.
"Our starting system is better than the one of Ferrari, my objective is to take the lead in the first corner, as I did in Malaysia. If I manage to do that, most of the job is done".
The funny thing is that his lethal weapon is the legacy of this now rival, Kimi Räikkönen, the Finnish driver who, in 2005, was fighting against Renault for the World Title and, together with McLaren, had to study for a long time how to start well nd thus stem the fury on the grid of the French cars. Kimi Räikkönen remembers the hard work and the improvements they managed to achieve, but now he does not seem to be worried. He is focused on his car:
"The car had a balance issue at the beginning of the second session, but then it improved a lot".
An improvement that allowed him to finish Friday at the top and to challenge the others with more confidence.
"Our advantage is small, but it’s there. We must increase it. It will go better than in Malaysia, I’m sure about it".
As for Felipe Massa, it must be a whole different story since he is under much more pressure, being the only driver with a last opportunity, which he has to take if he does not want to fall behind in Ferrari’s hierarchies.
"After Malaysia, I got criticised a lot, but I only accept the criticism about the start. I won’t make any mistakes here. Regarding my overtakes, I built my career on offensiveness, and I have no intention to change on that matter. Our race pace seems very good, but I don’t want to judge. In Sepang, it changed abruptly, and it was enough to make everything change".
It is therefore useless to let him know the expectations of Hamilton, who was very fast, but affirms:
"Here, it will be more difficult for McLaren, more than in Malaysia".
Strategy or not, Felipe Massa does not have any trust any more. The smiles? If there is a reason, they will appear only after the race. On Saturday, April 14, 2007, qualifying took place in temperatures of over 34 °C and, despite a small shower of rain just after the morning practice session, the track was dry. Williams' Alexander Wurz was the first to go out on the circuit, followed by former William’s drivers David Coulthard and Jenson Button. As during the first practice session on Friday, the two Ferraris set the pace, both recording laps under 1'33"000, the only two cars to do so during the first part of qualifying. The first six to be eliminated from qualifying were Takuma Satō, who was seventeen-thousandths of a second slower than Jenson Button, in sixteenth place, both Toro Rossos of Liuzzi and Speed, both Spykers of Albers and Sutil, and David Coulthard, who joined Albers at the back of grid after his Red Bull suffered a gearbox problem. The two Toyotas of Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli left the pits first for the second part of qualifying.
Like in the first session, Ferrari was setting the pace, this time however it was Massa who was leading the way, with both their drivers setting times under 1'32"000, only to be split by Hamilton's McLaren. Button, who only just made the cut for the second round of qualifying, was slowest in the session, over two seconds compared to Massa's time. The Brit was joined by fellow Honda driver Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Davidson, Heikki Kovalainen and Wurz. Hamilton and the two BMW Saubers were first out in the final part of qualifying, with Massa setting the early pace. The final part of the session saw Massa improve his time, setting a lap of 1'32"652. Hamilton came second, just under three tenths slower than Massa, obtaining the front row in his third Formula One race. Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso took the second row, while BMW Saubers of Heidfeld and Kubica were fifth and sixth respectively. Giancarlo Fisichella and Mark Webber were on the fourth row, with Jarno Trulli and Nico Rosberg completing the top ten, ninth and tenth respectively. As in Malaysia, it is Felipe Massa who gets pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the third appointment of the Formula 1 World Championship. And like in Sepang, Kimi Räikkönen is third, preceded by Lewis Hamilton and followed by Fernando Alonso, in a role reversal for the McLaren Mercedes team. The Brazilian driver of Ferrari once again markedly proved to be the fastest and his lap, which put him in first place, was perfect: 1'32"652 was the time of the fifth pole of his career, third consecutive pole for Ferrari, the 189th for the team from Maranello. Lewis Hamilton, 0.283 seconds behind, shows the state of grace of this British talent, the first black driver in Formula 1, able to gain two podiums during his first three Grands Prix, as well as the respect of colleagues and critics. On the other hand, Kimi Räikkönen did not seem to find speed on the track of the Arabic peninsula. It is nonetheless necessary to underline that one of his attempts was ruined by the Renault of Giancarlo Fisichella, who was slow and obliged him to slow down, too. But the Finnish driver admits:
"Today I told myself not to take too many risks, it will be a difficult race tomorrow. The situations may change due to the wind and there could be significant consequences, let’s hope to find the best set-up. We’ll be close, everything depends on the variables that will come into play".
Always first. During the first round, the second, but above all in the one that counts, the third one, the battle for the pole position, the challenge that represents the redemption of Felipe Massa, after the flood of critics that rained down upon him after the poor performance in Malaysia. The passionate kiss given to Raffaella, his fiancé, is a testimony of his happiness, while the handshake with Jean Todt, head held high, shows the satisfaction. He was the driver under the most pressure, more than Hamilton’s discovery (surprisingly second), the leader Fernando Alonso, and his teammate Kimi Räikkönen, he was the one who could not make any mistakes, knowingly facing his last chance, he managed to bring out his pride. Of course, the new story, able to bury the disastrous events of Kuala Lumpur, is not fully written yet, today’s race still has to take place and above all the start, which was lethal last Sunday, but for now, having put everybody in line is already an encouraging prelude. Felipe Massa confirmed that he is the king of Saturday, now he needs the rest.
"I’ll be aggressive in the first corner, I promise you that. Alonso already fooled me once, it won’t happen again. Hamilton can try if he wants to, but he’ll find a closed door. I won’t get the start wrong, and not even the race. I have the chance to win, this is an even bigger opportunity compared to the one of Malaysia, because here starting at the front is more crucial, if you get the trajectory wrong the track is very dirty, who’s beside me might encounter big issues. My Ferrari is perfect. It’s been like this the whole weekend, and especially during qualifying. I didn’t have any difficulties, not in a single flying lap, everything worked out wonderfully. I have faith because premises are good, hiding wouldn’t make any sense".
Screw superstition. He swore to himself that he would have not given too much away, the shock occurred in Australia (the breaking of the gear shift that made him miss the opportunity of a possible big performance), and then in Malaysia he was very good, no more slogans during the eve of the race, only strong words, facts that leave a mark.
But his car is competitive, and the immediate return to pole position makes him forget any fortune-telling:
"My World Championship starts now, and it will be a new adventure. I threw in the air important points, but I still feel myself in the race, above all if I’m winning here. I expect a tough race, with that sand that covers the tarmac and makes the driving very difficult. But I’m ready for anything, I fear nothing".
There is respect, but this does not have to be mistaken for fear. For instance, the one of Fernando Alonso, fourth on the grid due to a deluding performance, who is not pleased with his McLaren, but maybe (there it is the trick) with more fuel than anybody else:
"Maybe he had a bad day and adopted another strategy, but I don’t trust him. He’s capable of anything, we need to keep him behind".
He must do so, but especially Kimi Räikkönen who, penalised by the traffic during his crucial attempts, had to settle for third position. Fernando Alonso is beside him, the Finnish will have to prevent the attack on turn one. Kimi Räikkönen, with his monosyllabic answers, shows confidence:
"Qualifying could have gone better, but I’m in the right position to win the race anyway. Over the course of these days, the car has improved a lot, we found the right set-up so in the race we’ll be competitive".
He will be able to fight, also because the engine of his car is not in danger this time and there will not be any precautionary limits of power:
"No compromises, we’re in the ideal conditions to go for it. And I won’t back down".
A fundamental part in a heated duel, hot as the scorching tarmac of Bahrain, the two Ferraris against the two McLarens, and the rest of the grid just makes an appearance, even though the BMWs of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica (fifth and sixth) are not far behind, and Giancarlo Fisichella managed to firmly take seventh place with his Renault. Small actors, perhaps through no fault of their own, but the stage is for those four wild drivers, with 600 metres (the distance from the start to the first corner) that could decide all. And Felipe Massa will get in trouble if he is going to get squeezed again. Fernando Alonso is a question mark. He was always behind Hamilton in Bahrain, which might signify a difficulty in finding the right set-up, but he might also have a different strategy, with more fuel onboard. He said that his goal was the first two rows, and he reached it. He will also have to watch his back at home, Fernando Alonso. If he already imagined everything about Ferrari, he now has the certainty that his partner, the rookie Lewis Hamilton, has no intention of helping him. After the Australian Grand Prix, where the Spaniard could only overtake him after the second pit stop, during qualifying, the World Champion suffered another indignity: second time for the British driver, fourth for the World Champion. Everybody was concentrated on the rivalry at Ferrari, but also at McLaren-Mercedes team there is no joking around, and rumours - which say that the team roots for Lewis Hamilton - started to spread in the paddock. For now, the two drivers shrug at the alleged rivalry, but it is clear that young Lewis already considers his period of practice done: it is possible to notice it by the way he behaves, and his words, which indicate a greater confidence. For instance, concerning the start:
"Massa says that he’s not going to leave me space? It seems a bit intimidatory, he’s playing mind games. But it doesn’t change anything: I know what I have to do in the first corner, and that is be very careful. Because I want to finish the race, I want to get points. Furthermore, too much aggressiveness might be dangerous, counterproductive".
For Lewis Hamilton, the Bahrain circuit represents a sweet memory:
"I won here in 2004, starting from the 24th position, in the last row. But it was an F3 junior race. This time it will be a little bit different".
He could set a record, if he managed to end up on the podium again: no rookie has ever done that. He is convinced he can do it:
"We closed the gap to Ferrari, we’re the strongest".
There will not be any lack of rivals, starting with Fernando Alonso. Who is playing pretend, playing hide and seek: first he says that more could not be done, then he adds that he has a different strategy:
"You’ll see, I won’t reveal anything".
Nevertheless, he guarantees that he will not try to keep it under control, from the height of his current position in the standings:
"I won’t have a cautious approach. I want to win the World Championship again, and to do that I can’t have this type of approach".
Fernando Alonso is a practical guy, he tries to solve the problems step by step:
"Firstly, you have to be reactive. For the third time, I start on the dirty side of the track. It’s not a point in favour".
The Spaniard continues to think positive, in any case:
"There are good days and bad days. Here, the car responded well, I’m happy about the last part of qualifying".
The champion finally lets himself go and also talks about the rivalry with his teammate:
"In my career, I always had to push the accelerator to the limit: with Trulli, at the beginning in Renault, and then with Fisichella. Currently, there’s Hamilton with me in McLaren. It’s not something new to me, if you wanted to hear that. I work together with Lewis to develop the car, make it more and more competitive. And then we try to create a great atmosphere in the team. In the end, on track, everyone does his own race, it’s the usual story and I don’t find anything new in this".
On Sunday, April 15, 2007, at the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Felipe Massa kept the first position, followed by Lewis Hamilton, while Fernando Alonso managed to pass Kimi Räikkönen in the fourth corner. In the same spot, Jenson Button and Scott Speed, separately, were involved in accidents that lead to the Safety Car: when the car left the track, behind the first four drivers there were Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica, Giancarlo Fisichella and Mark Webber. Meanwhile, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton pulled ahead of their pursuers, setting the fastest laps, while Fernando Alonso did not seem to have the same pace and kept behind Kimi Räikkönen, with Nick Heidfeld able to stay close. In the back, David Coulthard, who started from the last row, climbed back overtake after overtake. After fifteen laps, Lewis Hamilton was in the slipstream of Felipe Massa, while Fernando Alonso was already eight seconds behind.
Over the course of lap 19, the British driver was the first to stop for fuel, followed by the Brazilian driver two laps later; Fernando Alonso stopped on lap 23, and lost the third position in favour of Kimi Räikkönen, who stopped one lap later. On lap 31, a wild David Coulthard overtook Giancarlo Fisichella in the first corner, and climbed up to seventh place; after a few laps, the Scottish driver was forced to retire, leaving the position to his teammate, Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso’s day became negative over the course of lap 32, when Nick Heidfeld overtook him with a great manoeuvre on the outside, always in the fourth corner. The second part of the race saw Lewis Hamilton unable to live up to the first part; Felipe Massa created a margin of 10 seconds, while Kimi Räikkönen reached the slipstream of the British driver. The two McLarens had more fuel, Lewis Hamilton was the last to stop. At that moment, the second series of refuelling did not lead to any change. With 15 laps to go, Mark Webber retired, too, allowing Giancarlo Fisichella to reach the points, behind Jarno Trulli. Felipe Massa won the Bahrain Grand Prix, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen. Nick Heidfeld was fourth, followed by Fernando Alonso, Robert Kubica, Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella. Today won who needed it the most. The driver who was under pressure the most, behind in the standings, the one and only, as the rival Fernando Alonso says, definitely facing his last chance, because Ferrari truly inaugurated a new era, two men on the same level, facing the stopwatch with no order coming from the boxes, yet he does not want to lose for the third year in a row the World Title, and he could not keep on waiting forever for it. Felipe Massa won, the one who was lacking points, the most criticised after the Malaysia Grand Prix, because due to his mistakes he threw away the victory and wasted the pole position, the one who had to settle for a paltry fifth place, but now the same fate concerns Fernando Alonso, for once deluding, little aggressive and lacking his famous talent. Felipe Massa won, keeping the promise:
"You’ll see, I’ll redeem myself, I’ll manage to react, I’ll make everybody eat their critical words".
The mistake in Malaysia remains, but now it hurts less. In Bahrain, the Brazilian driver was perfect, he really had the race of his life, taking home everything, the triumph at the finish line, the smile for pole position on Saturday, the fastest lap of the race. He stood out just like Schumacher, his mentor, used to do who not surprisingly phoned him immediately after the race to congratulate him, with the very same promptness with which, after the unfortunate race in Sepang, he called to comfort him. This time, nothing fatal occurred. Neither at the start, where Felipe Massa blazed through, where with a glare he repelled Lewis Hamilton's assault, nor the first pit stop, which the Brazilian made two laps later (beginning of lap number 22) than his McLaren rival. Indeed, this very stop sealed his dominance. Because up until that moment, Lewis Hamilton was hot on his heels, just a second behind after fifteen laps, a bit more on the nineteenth lap, the last that the two drivers completed using the first fuel supply. It looked like a heated battle, but then Felipe Massa, with soft tyres and a new fuel load, created a gap. Ferrari became competitive, and he pulled ahead of the group, allowing himself to reach the chequered flag in pure tranquillity. Just like a clever driver who manages, who does not panic as his lead shrinks, not caring about Lewis Hamilton’s fastest laps, managing, taking care of every overtake on lapped cars, and at the end sends the mechanics to the pits in ecstasy. Felipe Massa won and for the sports literature that loves redemption, this sounds like poetry. There is more pride than happiness, contained in that clenched fist of Felipe Massa. The celebrations with a hard look, almost wicked, given that the Brazilian knows he is a real driver, one who is capable of fighting for a World Championship, who did not deserve all the criticism he got after Malaysia and in Bahrain, he is proud to have proved it. He promised redemption after the thrashing, revenge has come, a triumph that brings him back to the top, throwing him back in the fight for the World Title. Felipe Massa reacted just as he dreamed of. To whom does he dedicate the win?
"No bad thoughts or controversy, this great moment does not deserve that. I dedicate this to my fiancé, Raffaela, this was not an easy weekend for me, I felt a huge pressure, and she was there for me, she showed all her love".
Felipe nevertheless had a perfect race.
"It was indeed an exceptional Sunday, I drove very well, and the car was always fast, above all after the first pit stop, when with soft tyres I could create a gap. I couldn’t have asked for more, it was the redemption I dreamed of. In Australia, luck wasn’t on my side, if I hadn’t broken the gearbox on Saturday, I could have won the race without any problem. In Malaysia, it was my mistake, and I threw away precious points. We left a lot on the road, but with this triumph, I fixed it. I am also in the fight for the World Championship ".
Does such a well-balanced classification affect you?
"Three drivers at the top, on the same level, and I’m right behind, I don’t know how many times this happened. Honestly, though, I expected that. I knew that the fight would have been heated, it’s an exciting season, and it will stay like this until the last race".
Felipe Massa, though, risked being downgraded in the Ferrari hierarchies, in favour of Kimi Räikkönen.
"It would have made no sense to make such decisions this early, even if I didn’t win here. The season is long, everything can happen. The agreement is anyway clear in our team: there’s no number one, we’re free to fight, the important thing is that we are clever, and we don’t forget that we’re a team with a precise objective, which is winning the title. I think that the ideal for Ferrari is a fight until the very last race between me and Räikkönen. If it’s not going to be like this, then one will help the other".
What were you thinking at the start?
"Only to push hard and close the door to whoever tried to overtake me in the first corner. Now somebody will write that I don’t have such bad starts".
Lewis Hamilton was very close at the beginning. Did it bother you having him breathing down your neck?
"He wanted to put pressure on me, but I made no mistakes. By now, Ferrari and McLaren are basically on the same level, details make the difference. For this reason, I think that the work of the next few weeks will be fundamental. We can’t stop, we still need to improve a lot. You must admit, though, that after the first pit stop, we were unrivalled".
How did you create that gap?
"It was all thanks to the soft tyres the slight oversteer I had disappeared, the balance of the car became perfect. I managed to pull ahead of everybody else. At that point, I told myself: there’s no competition any more".
In the end, though, Lewis Hamilton was close again.
"That’s because I had harder tyres, I was managing. I was being careful every time I was lapping someone, as well as in traffic, I still was managing. I wasn’t afraid of not winning. It was my race. An amazing day".
Your most wonderful triumph?
"It’s an important one. But don’t forget that I won in Brazil".
What is curious is also the rest, with standings that never presented, after three races, such a result, with three drivers at the top, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Kimi Räikkönen, each with 22 points, Felipe Massa right behind with 17 points. Moreover, and hats off also to Nick Heidfeld, who does not drive for Ferrari or McLaren, but who managed to finish fourth with an improving BMW, getting the better of legends one after the other, Felipe Massa in Australia and in Malaysia, and Fernando Alonso in Bahrain. These standings are the symbol of a heated season, orphaned of its dictator Michael Schumacher and maybe for this reason so hard-fought. Alonso had an off day, he fooled Kimi Räikkönen at the start, but then he was beaten by the Finnish driver’s strategy and by Nick Heidfeld, with a humiliating overtake on the outside. The Spaniard complained about the car, which, moreover, set the fastest time in all three sectors of the track, but perhaps this time it was him who was off. We cannot celebrate Kimi Räikkönen, either, who did better than the Spanish driver, once again finishing on the podium, but who nevertheless seemed to race sparingly just like in Malaysia. Finding himself fourth after four corners did not help him, that is for sure, but then he was helped by the strategy of his team and arrived behind Lewis Hamilton, without getting dangerously close to him, anyway. Daring a bit more would not be a bad idea, even if he defended himself by saying that at the beginning of the Championship, every point is precious and risky overtakes may bring bad luck. Lewis Hamilton definitely showed a different temperament, second again like in Sepang, first rookie to end up on the podium three times, the youngest driver in the history of the sport to find himself at the top of the World Championship standings. Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella must be so envious since the two were engaged in a wild personal battle for the seventh place.
"I’m proud of him".
The loving man, the little Felipe, dedicated the victory to her. Raffaela, his fiancé, who does not like to be seen in the garage, is very happy. As script dictates, his man kissed her before going to the podium.
"I thank him for the dedication. I’m happy he’s grateful, it’s difficult to live together with a driver, the mood is always changing, you need a lot of patience. In November, we’ll get married. Felipe is also very reserved in his everyday life. It’s difficult to understand what’s going on in his mind, but I decode everything, a glance is enough for me. These days he felt under pressure, I tried to help him. I’m happy it ended up like this".
Felipe Massa also got an important phone call: the one from Michael Schumacher:
"Michael called me".
The German did not show up at the race weekend once again, despite someone giving advanced notice of his presence in the paddock due to the proximity to the Gulf area. He nevertheless showed his support yet again:
"Michael and I talked for a bit, but if you don’t mind, I don’t want to share with you what we said to each other".
President Montezemolo congratulated his men straight away, from Jean Todt to the two drivers.
The President called to express all his enthusiasm:
"Three races, two victories and a podium: the balance is positive. Now we keep on going like this".
In the meantime, what does a World Champion do when things go bad? He adapts and makes the best of a bad situation. Fernando Alonso knows the rules and perfectly acts according to plan, formal when surrounded by cameras and microphones, right when the speaker makes everybody hear the Mameli anthem, in honour of the winning team, Ferrari.
"First, well done to Massa and Hamilton. Great race".
Then, he started to explain the reasons behind his fifth place, which is considered a poor result.
"The car was not comfortable to drive. I had no feeling, it didn’t work: first I got understeer, then oversteer. When it’s like this, there’s not much you can do".
The champion then played defensively, so much so that he also shared a philosophical principle:
"There are Grands Prix that go well, and others that don’t. This one didn’t go well, but we turn the page and move on".
Before focusing on the future, some questions need to be asked: why did Hamilton face no issues?
"There were differences between the cars. The details worked for him. For me, they didn’t".
The World Champion is sure about it:
"I could have started at the front, but Ferrari would have overtaken me anyway. The strategy was good, but something didn’t work out".
The Spaniard does not analyse the race, but rather underlines the positive aspects of the current situation:
"I’m first in the standings. I’m not the only one, sure, but I’ll take part in my home Grand Prix in Barcelona, on the May 13, as the leader. And I always said that my objective, for the first three Grands Prix of the season, is to limit the damage".
The schedule was respected, except for this: Alonso could envisage everything, apart from the fact of having a rival in his own team. The break will help Alonso, who is more experienced. The Spaniard already experienced – with Jarno Trulli first, and Giancarlo Fisichella, later – the harshness that an internal rivalry brings and, above all, he already experienced bad days. Precisely last year, during the fight against Michael Schumacher, he witnessed the recovery of the German driver without (more or less) creating a scene, but rather being calm and restrained whenever he was in public. Time repaid his patience, and Fernando Alonso once again relies on these virtues (together with the development of the car). Meanwhile, though, the swearing-in ceremony of his teammate is official. For McLaren, Lewis can win the World Title. Word of Martin Whitmarsh, executive director of the British team. The internal rivalry is a dangerous factor that might change the equilibrium of the team, made of British mechanics who currently root for the compatriot and do their best for him.
Fernando Alonso dismisses the issue, at least for now, and officially blesses the rivalry, ignoring the statements of the McLaren management, which consisted of praise and support for the best rookie of F1 history. Lewis Hamilton, in the meantime, makes a record: no rookie had ever reached three podiums in the first three Grands Prix.
"I couldn’t ask for more".
A win, maybe.
"That is the last step that is still missing. And I’ll do everything in my power to achieve that, I’ll push to the limit, but I must say that the victory can happen in the next race, or the last Grand Prix. Or next year".
Low profile or superstition?
"I still have a lot to learn. I just have to go fast".
You are also first in the standings.
"It’s all new to me. I have to learn how to deal with it".
With Lewis Hamilton, there is the risk of repeatedly updating statistics books.
"And I’m extremely proud of this. We worked hard to get here, and when I say ‘we’, I mean me and my family. And the team, of course".
There are debates about the impact that Hamilton may have on the F1 world.
"I know. I’ll discover this in the future, too. I hope I’ll be able to walk down the street, just like I did until two Grands Prix ago".
There is always a price to pay.
"Oh yeah, but it’s not that: it’s the time away from home. I’ve been on the road for over nine weeks, it’s not easy".
You are first in the standings: do you think you have the same chances as Alonso?
"Yes, absolutely, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be like this. We have the same car, and it looks like I’m as competitive as he is. I just need to avoid mistakes".
But who is the number one rival?
"I can’t answer this question now. It’s too early and we’re all close. Maybe we’ll find out at the end of the season".
In Bahrain, though, you could not fool Felipe Massa at the start.
"No, Felipe is extraordinary. He started very well, and I could only keep the position".
In the beginning, you fought, what about the rest of the race?
"I had understeer. The balance of the car was not good, but we recovered with hard tyres afterwards".
Any mistakes on your part?
"Some, nothing concerning I’d say".
Now onto Europe. First personal considerations?
"Everything is going well, I’m tired, but very happy. Very happy".
Ferrari, however, seems to be in better shape.
"I believe that the results here in Bahrain are a further incentive to do better. We proved that we almost completely closed the gap to Ferrari".
Any prediction ahead of Barcelona?
"We can push even more. This is the only promise I can make".