Williams’ Head of Vehicle Performance Rob Smedley believes the Brazilian is driving better than ever.
On the 2nd November 2008, the world watched an exhilarating final race to the 2008 F1 world championship in Sao Paulo where for a matter of seconds Felipe Massa had clinched the world drivers’ championship until the crown was snatched right from his grip when Lewis Hamilton over took Timo Glock on the last corner of the last lap to put himself in 5th place, exactly where he needed to be to clinch his first world title.
Rob Smedley, Massa’s former race engineer at Ferrari believes Massa is driving even better than he was back then.
Since then Massa has not won a race and departed with Ferrari at the end of the 2013 season to join Williams, both Williams and the Brazilian has seemed rejuvenated in Formula One as the team clinched a number of podiums with the help of team-mate Valtteri Bottas, along with Massa scoring a pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Williams also finished third in the Constructors’ Championship showing a significant up-turn in form for both Massa and the Grove-based team.
“I think that he had a very good weekend to be honest. He was right on it.” said Rob Smedley after what Massa described as a “fantastic” weekend in Shanghai.
“I have worked with him for many years and I am still seeing him develop and it’s good to see. That’s a lad with 10 years-plus experience of driving Formula 1 cars, who is still able to develop and get better and better.” explained Smedley
The Brit then went on to talk about how he is impressed with Massa showing great skill when working with the tyres at Williams.
“I think one of the biggest changes that I have seen in Felipe over the last year-and-a-half is not only where he has got his head to – so he’s very comfortable with himself and with his surroundings now – but I think technically how he is managing the tyres is really, really impressive,” said Smedley.
“He knows what to do with the tyres, he knows what corrective action to take. He knows how to get them working in qualifying and he knows how to make them last in the race as good as any particular car will allow him to do.”
“What we are seeing at the minute is definitely the best Felipe Massa that we have seen, definitely as good as 2008.”
Images Courtesy of Williams F1 Team
