vcs316
11th October 2010, 03:37
Felipe Massa blamed Nico Rosberg for the first corner crash that ended with Massa's Ferrari spearing into Tonio Liuzzi's Force India at Suzuka.
Having qualified a disappointing 12th, Massa was eager to make up ground off the line, but said confusion over Rosberg's movement as the Mercedes trundled away with a clutch problem led to the dramatic clash.
"Rosberg had a very, very bad start, he was sixth and everybody was passing him," said Massa.
"I took his tow, I was much quicker than him, and then I tried to go to the left but then I saw that Sutil was on the left, so when I saw him I tried to go to the right because Rosberg was going to the left as well.
"So then I had a space on the right but then when he saw that Sutil was on his side and he saw that I was on the right, he anticipated the corner a little bit, so then I had no space.
"So then I had to go onto the grass, and then when I touched the grass I couldn't turn and I went straight.
"There was a kerb there, when I touched the car and it sent me completely to the left.
"Some cars were coming and it was Liuzzi on the left, and then I hit him because the kerb pushed me to the left."
Liuzzi said Massa's arrival into the side of his car came as a total shock.
"At the time I was a passenger really," said the Italian.
"I had a great start and passed five or six cars before the first corner and thought I was pretty safe but then when I went into turn one I saw Felipe coming up on the inside - I don't know if he had broken something on the car but he seemed to come into my side like a bullet.
"I don't think he was in control of the car at the time, but it's a shame as it's another first corner accident and then retirement for me."
Although the stewards penalised Vitaly Petrov for triggering the race's other first lap crash, there was no action against anyone involved in the Massa incident.
Massa admitted that the entire weekend had been a huge disappointment.
"When I go to Singapore and have a problem on the first lap of qualifying, and then come here and have so many issues in qualifying and then a crash on the first corner, for sure it's frustrating," said the Brazilian, who pinpointed traffic delays as the cause of his poor qualifying result.
"I'm not here to start in the middle of the grid, I'm here to fight for the first position.
"It's frustrating but we need to concentrate and do a good job in the last few races."
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=49436&PO=49436
Having qualified a disappointing 12th, Massa was eager to make up ground off the line, but said confusion over Rosberg's movement as the Mercedes trundled away with a clutch problem led to the dramatic clash.
"Rosberg had a very, very bad start, he was sixth and everybody was passing him," said Massa.
"I took his tow, I was much quicker than him, and then I tried to go to the left but then I saw that Sutil was on the left, so when I saw him I tried to go to the right because Rosberg was going to the left as well.
"So then I had a space on the right but then when he saw that Sutil was on his side and he saw that I was on the right, he anticipated the corner a little bit, so then I had no space.
"So then I had to go onto the grass, and then when I touched the grass I couldn't turn and I went straight.
"There was a kerb there, when I touched the car and it sent me completely to the left.
"Some cars were coming and it was Liuzzi on the left, and then I hit him because the kerb pushed me to the left."
Liuzzi said Massa's arrival into the side of his car came as a total shock.
"At the time I was a passenger really," said the Italian.
"I had a great start and passed five or six cars before the first corner and thought I was pretty safe but then when I went into turn one I saw Felipe coming up on the inside - I don't know if he had broken something on the car but he seemed to come into my side like a bullet.
"I don't think he was in control of the car at the time, but it's a shame as it's another first corner accident and then retirement for me."
Although the stewards penalised Vitaly Petrov for triggering the race's other first lap crash, there was no action against anyone involved in the Massa incident.
Massa admitted that the entire weekend had been a huge disappointment.
"When I go to Singapore and have a problem on the first lap of qualifying, and then come here and have so many issues in qualifying and then a crash on the first corner, for sure it's frustrating," said the Brazilian, who pinpointed traffic delays as the cause of his poor qualifying result.
"I'm not here to start in the middle of the grid, I'm here to fight for the first position.
"It's frustrating but we need to concentrate and do a good job in the last few races."
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=49436&PO=49436