Massa looks to build on 'special moment'

Felipe Massa believes his points-scoring finish in Sauber’s 200th grand prix will spur the team on to greater heights this season.

Massa finished sixth in Bahrain at the weekend to give Sauber their first points of the season on their 200th Formula One start.

Now the Brazilian wants to see improvements on his car to allow him to fight for top-eight finishes more regularly.

The 23-year-old said: “It was a fantastic feeling to dedicate these points to the team at a very special moment, and I am proud of this.

“These two points came at a good moment for the team, after our difficult start to the season. We have to take this momentum now to the next races. It’s definitely in aerodynamics where we need to make more improvements.

“We made a step forward in Bahrain, and we will have more new parts for Imola. This is really the area where we need to push hard in order to make progress.

“My goal is to fight for points on a regular basis. We are testing some new parts in Barcelona this week and I expect that we will be able to further improve the performance.”

Massa is enjoying his third season of grand prix racing, all of them at Sauber, and has taken over the role of the Swiss team’s top driver.

He was expected to play a secondary role behind former world champion Jacques Villeneuve this season but the Canadian’s poor form has seen Massa installed firmly in the number one slot.

He feels he has improved a lot since his debut season in 2002, when Villeneuve accused him of being unable to drive a car in a straight line.

“Experience is so important in Formula One,” he said. “Today I have a much better understanding of the car, all its technical aspects and how to find the best set-up.

“I can give more detailed input to the engineers and I have now the self-confidence to push the team in a positive way.

“But the experience also helps further to improve your driving, to know exactly when to drive more aggressively and when to hold back. Obviously, I have also improved in terms of consistency during the race.”