Ferrari’s Massa desperate to repay team’s support

Felipe Massa has admitted to feeling hurt following his wretched start to the new Formula One season, but has vowed to repay the support of his team.

Massa was forced to head to Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello, rather than back to Brazil to be with his family, in the aftermath of Sunday’s latest disappointment in Malaysia where he again failed to score a point.

Massa has since analysed where things have gone wrong, in contrast to team-mate Fernando Alonso who leads the championship with 35 points after taking the chequered flag at the Sepang International Circuit.

With speculation mounting regarding his future with the team, bearing in mind his contract expires at the end of the year, Massa knows he has to improve – and fast.

Speaking to Ferrari’s official website, Massa said: “I met my engineer Rob Smedley and spent a lot of time with (chassis director) Pat Fry, going over everything that happened because this is the only way I think we can understand the reasons behind these two bad weekends.

“I am disappointed, there is no denying it. Not scoring any points in two races hurts, but now it’s time to turn the page.

“It’s the not the first time I’ve gone through a difficult moment like this and I know well that things can change quickly, but now is the moment to do my utmost because I want this negative period to come to an end.”

That could prove easier said than done because despite Alonso’s victory at the weekend, Ferrari know full well their current car is off the pace compared to the likes of the McLaren.

The hope is Ferrari can make a step forward at the forthcoming double-header in China and Bahrain next month before ramping up development ahead of the start of the European season in early May in Barcelona.

“Pat ran through with me the details of the F2012 development programme and we hope we can slightly improve our performance in Shanghai,” the Brazilian said.

“Both there and at Sakhir, one of my favourite tracks, we will again be fighting on the counter-attack, trying to fine-tune the car as well as make the most of any opportunity just as Fernando did in Sepang.”