Ferrari not concerned by Massa`s form

Ferrari insist they are not concerned about Felipe Massa`s disastrous start to the season, despite the Brazilian throwing away second place in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Massa ran wide at Turn 6 halfway through the race at Sepang.

When he clouted a kerb it stalled the car`s aerodynamics and caused him to lose control of the rear at the following turn - pitching him off the track and into a gravel trap.

Following on from his retirement in Australia, where he spun at the first corner before an engine failure put him out, Massa has failed to score any points so far this year.

But Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has said there is no panic about Massa, and he is confident the Brazilian can bounce back in Bahrain.

“It`s true that it`s two no scores that are important in both the drivers` and the constructors` championships,” said Domenicali.

“But on the other hand we must not over-dramatize: the points table is close after two Grands Prix. I`m convinced that from Felipe`s and our point of view, a response won`t go amiss in Bahrain.”

Domenicali also made it clear that he did not think Massa was suffering from the pressure put on him by Kimi Raikkonen.

“I don`t want to talk about this matter because Felipe did an extraordinary qualifying lap in Malaysia. Having seen on what lap he pitted compared to the others, you can work out that his lap was really unique.

“So Felipe has all the qualities and the capabilities to do well. The championship is long and the team are united, so I see no worries from this aspect.”

Domenicali said the team will make sure the spin was not caused by a mechanical failure.

“We`ll analyze that. At the moment we have to look at all the data. I think the car has just come back from parc ferme, so we`ll have a look. But it`s clear that the thing that characterized that excursion was the fact that he went over the kerb.”

24.3.2008   ▪ Formula One    ▪ Ferrari, Massa    ▪ www.autosport.com