Massa confident over tyre issues

The Maranello-based team spent three days testing alone at Mugello in Italy last week - with a lot of effort spent on working out how to ensure the F2008 can gets it tyres into a better operating window.

And with the team given the added benefit of a day testing in the wet when Massa concluded the test on Friday, hopes are high that the solutions put in place will improve matters.

"To run in these conditions has helped a lot, the car has better grip and this is important in view of races where it could rain again," Massa told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Clearly I'd prefer it to be dry in Singapore, but we can go well and have a consistent race in the wet too."

Massa will have to wait until tomorrow to find out how big a deficit he has in the world championship to Lewis Hamilton, with the FIA International Court of Appeal due to deliver its verdict on the Spa-Francorchamps appeal.

The Brazilian admitted that his thoughts had been dominated in recent days by the appeal hearing. If Hamilton is successful in Paris and gets his victory reinstated, it will see his title lead extend from one point over Massa to seven points.

"I'm thinking about it all the time, of course, but it's not up to us," said Massa about the appeal. "It's important for the result to be the fair one, the one we've all seen."

When asked if he felt that he could win the title, Massa said: "Obviously I hope so: we'll have to make all the right decisions, be quick, competitive, with good strategies and the necessary reliability."