Japanese GP: Felipe Massa hopes podium secures 2013 Ferrari seat
Felipe Massa believes his first podium of the season will help him secure a new contract with Ferrari team for the 2013 season
The Brazilian wound up in second place at Suzuka to secure his first top-three finish since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver, whose future is still uncertain, said it was a relief to put an end to his podium-less run.
"I think so," said Massa when asked if the result will help his future.
"It is nice. It is like a relief. It was great. It was a great race anyway. I was able to push hard from the beginning to the end and show that we are here to fight for victory and the podium and not just points."
Massa, starting from 10th position, benefited from the drama at the first corner, where team-mate Fernando Alonso was eliminated and other cars in front hit trouble.
The Brazilian is now hopeful Sunday's podium is the start of a new era for him.
"I think I was very happy with the car all weekend and it's very nice to be on the podium again after a little bit of time," he said.
"Hopefully it is the beginning of many podiums in front."
Massa said was he sorry for Alonso, who saw a 29-point lead reduced to just four after his early exit.
"Nothing is finished for Fernando and he did many, many good races until now.
"What happened today was not nice for him but these things happen in a championship and it is important we push hard and concentrate on the next race to stay in front for the championship."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
How Haas delivered its F1 "game changer"
Horner: Red Bull’s 2026 F1 engine project “hitting targets”
The ironic reason Newey thinks Red Bull hasn't been caught in F1 yet
What we have learned about Massa's £64m F1 court action
FIA should have cancelled Singapore 2008 F1 result, says Todt
Prost-like Massa deserved to retire an F1 world champion
How Ferrari has kept itself in the F1 hunt despite no major upgrades
Sainz: Red Bull’s F1 advantage may be wiped away by Ferrari upgrades
Is Ferrari's revolution closing the gap to Red Bull?
"Complete s***show" - Does the DTM test still make sense in its current form?
F1 publishes sustainability gains amid 2030 net zero push
Alpine fast-tracks F1 floor upgrade to China amid recovery push
How Haas delivered its F1 "game changer"
What the Chinese GP's highlights reveal about its first F1 race for five years
The secrets of F1 turbocharging explained
Why Alpine’s rigorous training camp yields telling insights into its juniors
Ranking Derek Warwick’s top 10 greatest races
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments