Felipe Massa collects points for Williams

Felipe Massa’s mission this season is clear: to be able to bring in as many points as possible for Williams while contributing to the development and learning of young Lance Stroll.

Felipe Massa, 6th

For this first race, Felipe Massa did not fail in his mission. He ensured the essential from the first corner by getting rid of Romain Grosjean: “I knew that the most important thing for me was to overtake Grosjean at the start because the competition was more from him than the guys in front of us. I knew it would be very difficult to beat Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes. I had a very good start and passed him. So, my race was free until the end.”

His race was all the more calm as the Frenchman from Haas had to quickly retire due to an engine problem. He was then left behind by the five cars ahead of him but was not at all threatened by the Sahara Force India or the Toro Rosso. Not being threatened was thus a real satisfaction for the former future retiree: “We managed to beat the teams behind us in the right way. It’s something we clearly need to consider in terms of work for the championship. I’m very happy with today’s result. So, thanks to the whole team. Not bad for an old guy!”

We will note the slight touch of irony from someone who had been pushed out to make way for Lance Stroll, only to be called back at the last moment to cope with Valtteri Bottas’s departure. It is reminiscent of Mark Webber’s jab at Red Bull after a victory at Silverstone: « Not bad for a number two driver!

Lance Stroll, retirement

Regarding Lance Stroll, his race was compromised from the start by his 18th place on the grid. Nevertheless, he emerged with honors from the first corner, taking advantage of the confusion to gain several places: « I got a good start, even if it was risky. I didn’t expect it to be so risky! Several guys braked very early in front of me and I managed to gain several places. Then I had a flat spot on a tire. So I had to stop early and switch to a two-stop strategy. »

However, he was unable to see his first checkered flag due to a brake disc failure: « I think I had a brake disc failure. I pressed the pedal and it extended. I was lucky to be in a place with a lot of run-off. »

The beginner was then able to bring his injured mount back to his pit to retire.