Photo: Williams
For each pilot, the race of your country is special. However, not everyone gets great results with his hobby. In the case of Felipe Massa, returning to his native Brazil has been, on several occasions, synonymous with the role, and hopes that this weekend is the return to be: “The home grand prix is always the most important test for a pilot. For me, running at home, where I started my career (competing for the first time on the other side of the circuit, in the go-kart track, and then in the race) there are always a great expectation, of performing it in front of my fans. I love the track, it is one of the best for me, and I have always had good results there,”. Their numbers in Interlagos are summarized in five podiums, three poles, two victories, and eight races in the points ten disputed.
Massa has had everything in the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. There he was to be champion in 2008: he won the race but fell to a curve to take the title with his own (Hamilton overtook Glock in the last turn and stole the crown). It was his last triumph at Interlagos. Before, it had expired in 2006, also with Ferrari, dressed in a monkey with the colors of Brazil, on the day that Michael Schumacher withdrew for the first time. The tears of helplessness of 2008 were not the only ones who have seen the ‘twisted’ in your pilot. In 2012, Massa was the perfect squire for Alonso to become in three-time. He was accompanied by a bitter double podium for the drivers of the Scuderia, while Vettel, sixth in the race, earning his third world. In 2007 it had been able to help Raikkonen to take the championship, and was second after his team-mate. With the Kimi and with the other pilot of your team, Bottas, is played to be fourth in 2015: Valtteri takes 126 points, Raikkonen 123 and Philip 117.
In his only visit to Interlagos with Williams was third party (in 2014), something that you want to repeat on Sunday: “I’m eager to achieve another surprising result this year. Last year we managed to finish on the podium. It was a race with many things: five seconds penalty, I stopped in the box wrong and yet we did an amazing race. It is important to look back and see what we did last year, to try to repeat it and have a weekend very strong”. Finally, looking forward to the great prize, had words for the fans they will fill the stands of the circuit brazilian: “The passion of the fans is incredible. The excitement they have and how close they are to me, as a pilot, really an amazing feeling running in the house. An experience hard to explain”.
–