http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71726



It's a different story when it gets to the race, but if Massa can runaway with it... there's a good chance Lewis will fall under pressure....

He has less to lose than Lewis. That is because he has already lost more than Lewis; 7 points.

As long as LH doesnt get the red mist and tries to win at all costs, then I'd say the easier job is with him. Under normal circumstances only Ferrari have the pace to be in front of Mac, so he could easily cruise and still get 3rd in the race and take the title. Massa on the other hand has to be in front of LH otherwise all is lost.

I'd say the pressure is still slightly higher on Massa. He has to perform, whereas Lewis could have a slightly off day and still take the championship.

Yeah but Massa isn't going to win the championship, Lewis is only going to lose it. So in that respect why should Massa worry?

True enough.

The championship is 80% decided so neither of them is under maximum pressure. I'm expecting Lewis to be more at the top of his game, I think he's the one who really feels he ought to be champion, for Felipe there would be an element of surprise. And saying he has "zero pressure" is really kidding himself, to me that says the opposite actually.

I can see pole/win for Hammy as a good possibility. Otherwise I'm expecting Kimi to be quicker than Massa, who will be a bit tight I suspect.

Hopefully Mac will fuel Kovy light this time, and we'll see what he can do.

Agreed. Lewis has a lot more to think about. Massa goes in like every race - go for the win.

He is right. The pressure is on Lewis. Personally I think he'll cope, as he's a much stronger driver than last year. I really hope Lewis wins, but if he loses to anyone I wouldn't mind it being Felipe.

I agree with your preferences, but I see plenty of pressure for Massa - likely to be losing the championship in front of his home crowd, and if he doesn't beat a conservative Hammy in the race and Kimi also finishes in front of him, he could well feel he looks like a loser. If his 2008 campaign is going to look credible, he really needs a strong race, and not another humiliating obvious gift from Kimi either.

And I am expecting Kimi to be faster, unless Felipe is really really on top form.

People who say they feel no pressure usually feel it most.Massa get ready to be spanked by your teammate and "Special one"

Massa most likely has just this one chance at the title (thanks, Kimi). Hamilton will have many more chances.

Remember Eddie Irvine?

So the pressure is on you, Felipe...

If they take each other out, Massa loses the championship. So in that sense, Massa has more to lose, and he can expect Hamilton to be very aggressive.

This is clearly fighting talk aimed at trying to unsettle Hamilton and McLaren. (But why shouldn't he try?)

The tougher task is clearly on Massa though, having to score 7(8?) points more than Hamilton.

Agreed Hamilton has it easier for sure. Massa knows he still has a chance to win this championship but deep down he knows unless Hamilton makes a serious mistake or has a mechanical failure he knows Hamilton will take the title infront of all his fans.

Massa should be thinking "Even if I can't win lets give the fans something to cheer about by driving a great race to the very end"

Very different situation - Eddie was leading the championship by four points!

His mental coaches didn't tell him that. For sure.

well, is it necessarily correct this will be is only and last time?

whilst not the youngest he is still going to be around for years yet and every year he is improving, I can only assume that the opinion is based on Kimi being better next year (not necessarily a given fact) and after that someone new coming in thats going to hammer him, again not really 100% factual.

hes 27 or so, another 6-7 years in him atleast

It depends on his mindset doesn't it.
If he approaches it with the attitude of I'm going for the win there is little pressure on Massa - whatever he does it depends on Hamilton.

If he approaches it with the attitude that he's had a good year and an awful lot of hard work has brought him to this point and gets an attack of the "what ifs" (what if I dont get to this point again ? what if the 2009 car isnt competitive/reliable ? what if kimi leaves/regains form and outdrives me ? what if another team become stronger than us ?) or the pressure of loosing a title at home and the potential backlash weighs on his mind it could effect him.

I never rated him to be honest, when Ferrari signed him I thought they'd been at the chianti a bit too much. However, under Schumachers' mentoring he has improved massively, however he is still erratic (Silverstone etc) and can be pressured into a mistake (ran wide with Hamilton behind him at China, ran off the road early 2007 season Sepang I think?). So if he gets rattled it can all go wrong and he knows that.

Hamilton is actually kind of similar - Japan will of run through his mind a thousand times, no doubt whitmarsh and RD have said "told you so, listen to us next time". He has surely learnt from this and will keep his head clear.

I think external pressure on each of them is probably equal, its a case of how well they deal with external pressure and how much they put pressure on themselves.

I think the pressure is on Hamilton. Especially after what has happened last year.

Massa has nothing to lose indeed, nobody considers him the favourite. As for this being his last chance and all that. People used to say that of 2007 too...

Felipe is correct. He has already lost the WDC.

Like Kimi lost it this time last year?

Lightning does not strike twice ;)

Let's see if he's still saying that if it's piddling down with rain, Hamilton is out of the race, and Alonso Vettel and Webber are bearing down on him after a SC period.

......Alonso would swipe into the side of Webber and Vettel... allowing Massa to stay in front.

Would Alonso move over though if he was directly in front of Massa? I know there is such thing as team orders, but I've never heard of "friend orders".....

With Hamilton you never know.

Villeneuve-McLarens 1997, Jerez. Although that was more the "friendship" between the two teams, not the drivers.

He wouldn't have to. Thanks to his friends at the FIA, Massa only needs second place to clinch a hollow WDC.

It would be really cruel for him to have another electronic failure at the last race of the season, depriving him of a WDC for the second time. No driver deserves that much bad luck.

I actually think Massa will be under massive pressure this weekend. If he is going out the way to say he is relaxed i think it tends to mean he isn't...

Hamilton and bad luck. He is the only driver on the grid who did not suffer a mechanical DNF for the past two years.
And last year he simply messed up.

Pressure is definately on Hamilton and McLaren. They have it all in their own hands, whereas Felipe can lead a Ferrari one two and still lose the championship. Somewhere in the silver team they will know that they had this chance a year ago and blew it by one driver error and an electronic glitch in the last race. Both the team and driver has alot of pressure not to do the same mistakes again, or new ones!

Kova has had 2 mechanical retirements lately, one gearbox and one engine, so the Merc is not as bullet proof as we might think. And Hamilton's judgement under pressure is definately not bullet proof as he proved in Canada, Fuji and last year both in Brazil and China. I still hold Ham as a clear favourite to win the title, but I wouldn't bet any money on it.

OK. Whatever you say.

So to qualify as bad luck now only 'mechanical dnfs' count? How convenient

No need in that parallel universe to allow for tyre failures, punctures, gearbox malfunctions, pitstop glitches, being punted, biased penalties, team cockups...

Last year in Brazil he lost 4.7 seconds with his trip onto the runoff at turn4, 40 seconds with his gearbox glitch, 25 seconds with the team's idiotic strategy switch, and some more time with having to turn his engine down because the wrong cooling had been fitted. Yeah just call him Lucky

You sound like Alain Prost in the Donington '93 press conference.

And, interestingly, the total opposite of Lewis himself, whose "mind-management" regime forces him to answer every second question with "it's not a problem for me".

Nearing the end of the season, this is a great attempt at the "most tangential reply" trophy

But on Hammy's positive attitude, did you see how he dealt with the spectre of the Shanghai pitlane gravel trap?

I bet he would prefer to be in the situation Ham is.

lol yea id of thought so!!!

Thanks.

Yeah I saw what he did at pit entry. For the 2nd year in a row the only driver getting himself in trouble there.

Or should he be applauded for only doing it in free practice this time? Probably...

Ups, the topic...

Obviously Massa is right, it's out of his hands. Equally obvious he so wishes to be in Lewis' position. I don't think those two contradict eachother.

Hamilton has only himself to race. If Kimmi and Massa qulify ahead of him then the race will be extremely interesting.

God I can't wait!!!

Louise can finish 3rd -to Phillip's 1st- and he'd still win the WDC.

piquet did abit of rally cross there in practise too

Last race he looked tense, drawn and not his usual self. Driver says I feel nothing, means he is taking pain...I read his "nothing to loose" as "everything to loose"...Even with the FIA helping him and the best car he cannot even beat Hamilton. He's everything to loose.

LH - I was never born here and I only need a couple points.

FM - I'm 7 points down and this is my home race.

Please, I can CLEARLY see who is under more pressure. It's Massa.

apart from Piquet in FP

Massa is in the state of mind where his championship is over hence he feels no pressure.

Okay, acknowledged!

Still, that's not the sort of company Lewis normally strives to be in...

Personally I think both Hamilton and Massa are under alot of pressure regardless of what both of them have said. Its simple to say this to try and throw the other person off but actions speak louder than words and we will find out on Sunday who will crack and who won't.

But you know the quality we were looking at, when Hammy was attacking that pitlane entry in FP. So did Ron, which is why we saw the start of a grin as he got on the radio...

i surpose lewis has a edge he could pull that would reaally off the FIA/massa, saying hes already wrapped up the title because of the dodgy stewards dicisions


then say he plans to goto a german brothel to celebrate