|
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 10:49 PM
Felipe Massa - local hero with a point to prove
[errmmmhmm. I'm writing this only because I dislike the way F1 website wrote it. So, I'm gonna write it in MY version :D However, I'll be keeping the first paragraph in it's original form.] The Brazilian crowd is a partisan bunch. Even though he didn’t turn a single metre of Interlagos, some of the biggest cheers at last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix were reserved for local hero Felipe Massa. Still recovering from the injuries sustained in his dramatic crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix a few months earlier, Massa waved the chequered flag and soaked up the adoration of his fans. *waves hand "me! me!"* Though many suspect his welcome at Interlagos may be a little cooler this season, however, this may not seem to be true and has yet to be proven. Everyone has expected the Brazilian to at the very least win a race this year, but that has not been done yet. It's right to say that, but, let's take a different perspective. Would he not have won a race if the team orders fiasco at July’s German Grand Prix not taken place? Then, would the previous sentence be valid? Answer is: no. It's true many can argue that he might had a shunt or an engine blown. Even so, that victory is his. He had been pretty perfect throughout the weekend and had the win within his grasp, but then came the controversial call informing him that the pursuing Alonso was quicker, and laps later, what seems like a magnificent victory -commemorating 1 year after his horrible crash - became a crapshoot. Has they not check up the dictionary? Or did quicker changed it's meaning and is equivalent to having the ability to get close enough to overtake? True enough, others can also argue that he has struggled to finish on the podium (just five from 17 races), and as a result dropped out of the world championship fight early on - in what team mate Fernando Alonso has proved is a race-winning car. That really depends on how the car is technically developed. Every driver has a different racing style. Let's take an example, in 2007, Ferrari had their car suited to Kimi Raikkonen style of driving and therefore, having him outpacing Felipe Massa. However, in 2008, Ferrari developed the car towards Felipe's driving style late in the season, causing Kimi to lose ground. Why not put it in this way: Ferrari developed the car towards Fernando early this season - as proven in Germany that Ferrari had long before decided to fully support Alonso in his bid of the championship title. Won't that itself be a mystery? To say that Felipe's relatively poor form has dampened the support of his countrymen is not at all convincing. As a fan, would one give up on their idol as easily as that? Re-consider that point. If you are an Alonso fan, in early 2008 and the whole of season 2009, have you given up on him? And even though he did such shameful, ruthless and blatant act, have you given up on him? Food for thought: In many a times, Alonso's Renault team mate, Nelson Piquet, also outpaced him. Would you then, also, say that Alonso just could not seem to be able to extract as much of his Renault’s potential as Piquet? Rewind to 2009 and you'll understand why. What had initially been a battle for survival in the first few days after the accident became a slow and sustained fight to be race-fit once more, and after weeks of recuperation an amazing recovery saw him retain his place at Ferrari for 2010. His quiet determination won him hearts far beyond the borders of his own nation, and there was widespread hope that Massa would bounce back with a flourish, if not this season, then the following one. As said by a Professor, Massa's injury would need about 2 years to fully recover. We'll all behold what Massa would show us next year. An 11-time race winner who very nearly became 2008 world champion is never to be looked down to. There's no "once in a blue moon" stuffs, if you're good, then you're good. And he's a man, proven to not let chances slip past his grasp. If a mistake is made, it's made. The thing is to learn from his mistake and get a better chance next time. If nobody believes him, at least, he believes in himself. If Ferrari dont, his fans will. The fans whose loyalty are comparable to that of his to Ferrari. Alonso, in the meanwhile, has recently regained the lead of the championship - winning handed wins. He might has the chance to clinch the title at Interlagos this weekend, but as Red Bulls and Mclaren had shown, they are not to be meddled with. To make matter "worse", Brazil and Abu Dhabi are tracks suitable for the Red Bulls. *tweeeze* Of course, as Lewis Hamilton and McLaren found to their cost in 2007, the role of Alonso’s team mate is not an easy one. Determined, shameless and ruthless, the Spaniard’s arrival at Ferrari has undoubtedly ruffled Massa’s feather. His arrival, too, put up much shows to the other teams, never forgetting, his infamous team radio, featuring him blatantly saying "this ridiculous" seconds after teammate Felipe Massa overtakes him. Even so, at the start the two seemed pretty evenly matched, at least in terms of popular support. Also, Massa even led the championship at one stage, before the car turned beneficial towards the other side of the garage. At that point he was still very much in the running for the championship, but contender or not, it seemed Ferrari had decided that Massa was number two, at least in terms of their drivers’ title hopes. Coming exactly a year to the day after his Budapest accident, it was no doubt spirit-sapping stuff for Massa. And his apparent complicity in the team orders, and the vitriolic aftermath complete with FIA fine, caused unknown harm to his confidence. Many with conscience would decide that he’ll need to pull out all the stops this weekend, even if it would mean causing a dent in his teammate pursue of the title. As positive as he is, fans from all around the world would be looking forward to the Interlagos event. There would be, undoubtedly, the same atmosphere and the same level of support he has experienced from the grandstands. Also, as much as most people are concerned, the thought of him throwing away a drive with the fabled Scuderia seems unlikely, especially as the team have given assurances that he and Alonso will start next season back on an equal footing, unlike this year. Indeed, a more pertinent question is whether Massa can bounce back from adversity again in 2011. With utmost confidence, I would say 'yes'. Chances are that his team mate - may or possibly, may not be a world champion once more - would be the one struggling to match the pace of Felipe. True enough, he’ll have his work cut out if he is to resist the role of second driver for another season, however, judging from his return from injury, willpower is clearly something Massa has in spades. Here’s hoping he gets back on an even keel next year, if not sooner. For someone with a 8-years saga, trust him.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 10:49 PM
Felipe Massa - local hero with a point to prove
[errmmmhmm. I'm writing this only because I dislike the way F1 website wrote it. So, I'm gonna write it in MY version :D However, I'll be keeping the first paragraph in it's original form.] The Brazilian crowd is a partisan bunch. Even though he didn’t turn a single metre of Interlagos, some of the biggest cheers at last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix were reserved for local hero Felipe Massa. Still recovering from the injuries sustained in his dramatic crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix a few months earlier, Massa waved the chequered flag and soaked up the adoration of his fans. *waves hand "me! me!"* Though many suspect his welcome at Interlagos may be a little cooler this season, however, this may not seem to be true and has yet to be proven. Everyone has expected the Brazilian to at the very least win a race this year, but that has not been done yet. It's right to say that, but, let's take a different perspective. Would he not have won a race if the team orders fiasco at July’s German Grand Prix not taken place? Then, would the previous sentence be valid? Answer is: no. It's true many can argue that he might had a shunt or an engine blown. Even so, that victory is his. He had been pretty perfect throughout the weekend and had the win within his grasp, but then came the controversial call informing him that the pursuing Alonso was quicker, and laps later, what seems like a magnificent victory -commemorating 1 year after his horrible crash - became a crapshoot. Has they not check up the dictionary? Or did quicker changed it's meaning and is equivalent to having the ability to get close enough to overtake? True enough, others can also argue that he has struggled to finish on the podium (just five from 17 races), and as a result dropped out of the world championship fight early on - in what team mate Fernando Alonso has proved is a race-winning car. That really depends on how the car is technically developed. Every driver has a different racing style. Let's take an example, in 2007, Ferrari had their car suited to Kimi Raikkonen style of driving and therefore, having him outpacing Felipe Massa. However, in 2008, Ferrari developed the car towards Felipe's driving style late in the season, causing Kimi to lose ground. Why not put it in this way: Ferrari developed the car towards Fernando early this season - as proven in Germany that Ferrari had long before decided to fully support Alonso in his bid of the championship title. Won't that itself be a mystery? To say that Felipe's relatively poor form has dampened the support of his countrymen is not at all convincing. As a fan, would one give up on their idol as easily as that? Re-consider that point. If you are an Alonso fan, in early 2008 and the whole of season 2009, have you given up on him? And even though he did such shameful, ruthless and blatant act, have you given up on him? Food for thought: In many a times, Alonso's Renault team mate, Nelson Piquet, also outpaced him. Would you then, also, say that Alonso just could not seem to be able to extract as much of his Renault’s potential as Piquet? Rewind to 2009 and you'll understand why. What had initially been a battle for survival in the first few days after the accident became a slow and sustained fight to be race-fit once more, and after weeks of recuperation an amazing recovery saw him retain his place at Ferrari for 2010. His quiet determination won him hearts far beyond the borders of his own nation, and there was widespread hope that Massa would bounce back with a flourish, if not this season, then the following one. As said by a Professor, Massa's injury would need about 2 years to fully recover. We'll all behold what Massa would show us next year. An 11-time race winner who very nearly became 2008 world champion is never to be looked down to. There's no "once in a blue moon" stuffs, if you're good, then you're good. And he's a man, proven to not let chances slip past his grasp. If a mistake is made, it's made. The thing is to learn from his mistake and get a better chance next time. If nobody believes him, at least, he believes in himself. If Ferrari dont, his fans will. The fans whose loyalty are comparable to that of his to Ferrari. Alonso, in the meanwhile, has recently regained the lead of the championship - winning handed wins. He might has the chance to clinch the title at Interlagos this weekend, but as Red Bulls and Mclaren had shown, they are not to be meddled with. To make matter "worse", Brazil and Abu Dhabi are tracks suitable for the Red Bulls. *tweeeze* Of course, as Lewis Hamilton and McLaren found to their cost in 2007, the role of Alonso’s team mate is not an easy one. Determined, shameless and ruthless, the Spaniard’s arrival at Ferrari has undoubtedly ruffled Massa’s feather. His arrival, too, put up much shows to the other teams, never forgetting, his infamous team radio, featuring him blatantly saying "this ridiculous" seconds after teammate Felipe Massa overtakes him. Even so, at the start the two seemed pretty evenly matched, at least in terms of popular support. Also, Massa even led the championship at one stage, before the car turned beneficial towards the other side of the garage. At that point he was still very much in the running for the championship, but contender or not, it seemed Ferrari had decided that Massa was number two, at least in terms of their drivers’ title hopes. Coming exactly a year to the day after his Budapest accident, it was no doubt spirit-sapping stuff for Massa. And his apparent complicity in the team orders, and the vitriolic aftermath complete with FIA fine, caused unknown harm to his confidence. Many with conscience would decide that he’ll need to pull out all the stops this weekend, even if it would mean causing a dent in his teammate pursue of the title. As positive as he is, fans from all around the world would be looking forward to the Interlagos event. There would be, undoubtedly, the same atmosphere and the same level of support he has experienced from the grandstands. Also, as much as most people are concerned, the thought of him throwing away a drive with the fabled Scuderia seems unlikely, especially as the team have given assurances that he and Alonso will start next season back on an equal footing, unlike this year. Indeed, a more pertinent question is whether Massa can bounce back from adversity again in 2011. With utmost confidence, I would say 'yes'. Chances are that his team mate - may or possibly, may not be a world champion once more - would be the one struggling to match the pace of Felipe. True enough, he’ll have his work cut out if he is to resist the role of second driver for another season, however, judging from his return from injury, willpower is clearly something Massa has in spades. Here’s hoping he gets back on an even keel next year, if not sooner. For someone with a 8-years saga, trust him.
TEOH JENG YU, ♥
15 July 1996, Cancerian (:
Fuhua Primary School
1D'03, 2A'04, 3A'05, 4A'06, 5A'07, 6Care'08 .
River Valley High School
1F'09, 2F'10 .
And, just so you know, I'm a super big Felipe Massa fan :D
Wishlist
 HIM.<3
 Felipe Massa's autograph!
Ferrari shirt and/or jacket.
Take pictures with Felipe Massa!
Felipe Massa's puzzle .
More F1 racing or Autosports magazine.
F1 stimulator
2008 Ferrari Yearbook
The official 2008 F1 season review
A F1 book that has all the driver's face and profile, etc.
Go to Brazil! <3
Go to Abu Dhabi!
Go to Italy!
Shirts
Puma bags.
Sixin to stop emo-ing and be as happy as ever! (:
Camera .
|
