Felipe Massa finally comfortable with his Ferrari for first time in 2012 F1 season

The Brazilian failed to join his team-mate Fernando Alonso in Q3 at Sepang, instead having to settle for 12th on the grid. However, he believes that the progress he made with the F2012 ahead of qualifying will enable him to make more gains in the race and for the rest of the season.

"It was positive to make a normal qualifying, to have the car we expect to have," Massa said on Saturday afternoon. "We changed everything we could to have the car we expected, and qualifying was the first time I drove the car as it is supposed to be.

"If you see everything that has happened from Australia to here, it was definitely a good effort and now we are in a good direction to have the best that we can with this car.

"Now I'm looking forward to improving what I have. This is the first time since we started the season that I had what I expected from the car."

Massa added that his problems with the F2012 since the season kicked off have taken priority over any question marks over his future.

"The biggest frustration is when you go in the car and you don't feel what you know," he said. "You don't know what is going on.

"I don't get frustrated with the pressure, all the comments and all the rumours. That's not my problem.

"It's frustrating when I cannot do what I know I am able to do. That's why I am more happy now, and now we need to go forward."