Massa win keeps up pressure

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), August 25, 2008

Byline: By IAN PARKES Sports Correspondent

FELIPE MASSA escaped the wrath of the stewards to claim a deserved European Grand Prix victory just three weeks after suffering heartbreak on the track.

Ten points were ripped from Massa's grasp in cruel fashion when the engine in his Ferrari blew three laps from the finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.

Showing strength of character, Massa put the disappointment behind him to take the chequered flag in Valencia, where he had started on pole, adding the fastest lap to his weekend achievements.

The result was temporarily put in doubt when the stewards announced an investigation into an 'unsafe release' at the end of his second pit stop that saw him run wheel to wheel with Force India's Adrian Sutil.

The end result was that 'no sporting advantage was obtained', with Massa fined 10,000 euros (pounds 8,000) and reprimanded.

The points haul put Massa within six points of Lewis Hamilton, the McLaren driver finishing second after having injections to alleviate a neck Massa said: "It's amazing. After such a disaster in Hungary, we've come here to a great track and done a fantastic job.

"To take pole, win the race and get fastest lap, you can't ask for any more. I'm so glad and happy. It was perfect."

But Massa conceded the last 11 laps were "very difficult" in the wake of teammate Kimi Raikkonen's engine blow-out that ended his race on lap 46.

"I was thinking about it, lap by lap, but there was nothing I could do other than just drive and keep the pace," reflected Massa.

"We now need to work very hard ahead of the next race to fix our reliability if we are to fight for the championship.

"We have to make sure everybody is concentrated to resolve every single problem we have."

Despite his slap on the wrist from the stewards, Massa felt it was Sutil who was in the wrong, adding: "It looked bad from his side.

"It was a shame to fight with him in the pit lane, and with the wall looming, I had to back off and not take any risks.

"But I was the lead car, he was the lapped car, so I expected him to back off. He didn't and it was quite an error."

As for reigning world champion Raikkonen, now third in the standings, 13 points off Hamilton, he fears there will be no repeat of last season's title triumph unless Ferrari crack their latest engine issues.

CAPTION(S):

MASSA: survived investigation.