Massa still unsure about BMW's form

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld have helped their German car manufacturer team take the lead in the constructors' world championship after the first three races of the season, with some suggesting they could even be Ferrari's main rivals for the title.

But Massa, who won last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, says he is unsure if they will help his Ferrari team in taking points off McLaren, or actually be a major threat themselves.

"One thing that is clear after the three races we have had so far, is that BMW has really made a step forward," Massa wrote in his official blog.

"But at the moment, it is hard to tell if they might be able to help us by taking points from McLaren or if they now have to be seen as genuine title contenders in their own right.

"It seems that at the moment McLaren and BMW are at the same level and we will have to watch both of them closely. It can go either way, in that sometimes this situation might help and sometimes it might not. Let's wait and see what happens in the next race.

"However, our own focus has to be on ourselves and on our car; improving it all the time and that will bring its own rewards."

Massa believes that McLaren are not as strong as they were last season, when Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso took the championship battle all the way to the last race.

"Looking at the championship after three races, I can't say there is anything in particular that has surprised me, but as I said earlier, it is clear now that BMW-Sauber has made a step forward.

"Maybe McLaren is looking a little bit less consistent than last year, when they made life very difficult by scoring a lot of points in the first three races. This year that has not been the case, which is good for us, because although we have not picked up as many points as we could, neither have they. That can be positive as long as we work hard to deliver consistent results."

Massa also insisted that the criticism he received in the media after his spins in Australia and Malaysia had not worried him prior to the race in Bahrain.

"I was not any more nervous than usual before the start on Sunday," he explained. "We know the job we have to do and I was not affected by all the comments in the media about me. I knew I was sitting in the cockpit of a good car and would have a good pace, so I was calm and ready to do everything right."