Second to none - Massa wins on day but Lewis leads in title race

13 April 2012

There was more smouldering at the Spanish Grand Prix than the flash fire which billowed out of Felipe Massa's scarlet car.

In a season of marvellous unpredictability, Lewis Hamilton continues to blaze brightly and the temperature within the Ferrari and McLaren garages hots up.

Scroll down to read more:

Early lead in Spanish GP: Felipe Massa

After becoming the youngest outright leader of the world championship — at 22 years, four months and six days he eclipsed his team's founder, Bruce McLaren — the garlands are again Hamilton's.

The British rookie, whose second place lifted him into a two-point lead over Spanish double world champion Alonso, said: "I'm really happy. I'm living out my dream and now it is really getting bigger and bigger. It is awesome to be leading the championship so early in my career against the best drivers in the world. I've done a good job and the team have done a fantastic job.

As long we keep up our level of reliability and I don't make mistakes, we will keep on getting podiums."

But pity Alonso, who was forced into third place by a first-corner shunt with winner Massa. What can he be thinking after being outperformed by his young McLaren team-mate in front of grandstands packed with his adoring Spanish fans?

Looking at his downturned lips on the podium revealed the answer. At Ferrari, the mood was equally mixed. Massa was jubilant at his second consecutive victory. It hoisted him to within three points of the championship summit and rattled the cage of the team's first' driver, Kimi Raikkonen.

The Finn cut a forlorn figure as an electrical gremlin ended his race after 10 laps. And if he needed another jolt, it was the sight of the legend he replaced, Michael Schumacher, in the Ferrari garage. Raikkonen resents his presence, not least because he is Massa's confidant and head of a dynasty he wants ended.

Misery, then, for the two pre-season favourites, but encouragement for the passing Formula One fan. After years of sterility, of predictable processions, no end of possibilities lie ahead as the season unfolds.

Hamilton is a serious challenger for the sport's most coveted prize, while Massa produced an impeccable display. Some question his volatility under pressure, but the evidence at the Circuit de Catalunya was to the contrary.

Massa, starting on pole, was in front for all but a few fractions of a second, except for pitstops, when Alonso — starting second — gambled all on the first corner. There are few chances to overtake and he had no choice but to take a risk, going rubber-to-rubber with the Brazilian. The silver nose of his McLaren poked ahead from the outside of the bend but Massa refused to yield and they touched.

Alonso went careering off the track, sending a plume of gravel swirling into the air, only to re-emerge perilously close to the on-rushing Hamilton and Raikkonen.

Somehow they missed him. Massa was away, Hamilton was pursuing, Raikkonen — before his premature exit — was third and Alonso fourth. It was all a bit dull for the next hour-and-a-half.

The post-race conference was more fun. Alonso was aggrieved by Massa refusing to yield, but the rules state an overtaking car must have half a car's length lead before holding the right of way. Alonso's advantage was never that great. The move failed fair and square.

"I was leading the race at the first corner and was fourth at the second," he said. "I thought I was in front but he did not think so and he touched me. There was a small contact. In 99 per cent of those incidents it will end there. It is very dangerous. That was it."

Massa hit back, saying: "I was on the inside, so I don't understand his point. It was a normal racing incident. If somebody was being aggressive it was Fernando, not me."

Would Alonso play safer in future? "My approach is always to win the race and catch the Ferraris, who were a little bit quicker today."

They were, but they were still outfoxed by Hamilton and his inch-perfect spatial awareness.

Hamilton, a place behind Raikkonen at fourth on the grid, zipped past the Finn on the inside of the first corner. He didn't blink.

"I knew I couldn't keep pace with Felipe from then on,' said Hamilton, but I kept pushing. I wanted to be as near to him as I could to take advantage if he had problems."

Flames licked around Massa's car after his first pit-stop but the fire quickly burnt itself out. The luck Hamilton was hoping for was extinguished with it.

Red hot Ferrari: Massa's car even suffered a fire during one pit-stop

Massa said: "Fantastic! I can't find the words to describe the emotions I feel after such a closely fought race. Once again, I would like to thank Michael for the help he's given me over all these years."

David Coulthard, 36, registered his first points of the season for Red Bull by finishing fifth. He said: "I lost third gear towards the end and thought I was going to have to retire. I managed to drive using only fourth gear and above, which lost me time.

"We've made more progress since the start of the season than any other team. We're going through growing pains but we'd rather show we're quick than work on reliability."

Jenson Button's Honda team are still in disarray. He was second to team-mate Rubens Barrichello for the fourth consecutive time after accepting responsibility for the collision with the Brazilian in which he lost his front wing. The only podium finish Button could expect is for understatement.

He said: "Overall, I think we had a slightly better weekend but there is a lot of work ahead of us."

No such soul-searching for Hamilton ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix on May 27. He has never lost around its streets. Repeat glory cannot be ruled out.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in