Korean GP: Felipe Massa says early spin was to avoid Nico Rosberg
Felipe Massa says he spun on the first lap of the Korean Grand Prix in order to avoid hitting Nico Rosberg

The Ferrari driver dropped to the bottom of the field after spinning under braking at the end of the main straight.
Massa nearly hit Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso in the incident.
The Brazilian said he was left with nowhere to go and had to force the spin to avoid an accident with the Mercedes of Rosberg.
"There were a lot of cars in the tow, and I was in the tow from Fernando and then there were cars on the side, a little bit quicker, passing the two Saubers," explained Massa, who recovered to finish ninth.
"So I moved to the right of Fernando and then I was to his side, and under braking I braked a little bit later than them but everybody was on the side like this.
"I was on the right and I couldn't go to the left and there were cars on the corner so I was going to hit Rosberg.
"And then I had to turn the car not to hit him and I spun. It was lucky that nobody hit me, but for sure I lost the race there."
ALONSO NOT BOTHERED
Alonso, who avoided contact by the smallest of margins, played down the incident.
"It was nothing important," he said. "We arrived to Turn 3, all the cars together. I don't know if Felipe had some contact with some cars on the inside. I tried to avoid him to not take any risk and nothing happened.
"It was zero problem and it didn't change anything in my race because I was behind Nico already.
"For Felipe, maybe he lost some positions because he only finished ninth at the end but I don't know how much better we could have finished in terms of team performance for the constructors' championship, which is important."

Previous article
Korean GP: Mercedes to investigate Rosberg's issue
Next article
Korean GP: post-race press conference

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Felipe Massa , Nico Rosberg |
Author | Edd Straw |
Korean GP: Felipe Massa says early spin was to avoid Nico Rosberg
Trending
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen’s emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber team-mate’s own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here’s how Nick Heidfeld’s career was chilled by the Iceman