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Massa confident he can win world title

Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa of Brazil, left, sits next to his wife, Rafaela, during a friendly soccer game between FC Lugano and AC Milan in Lugano, Switzerland, on Wednesday. PHOTO: AP

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa is in a bullish mood ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Massa closed the gap on world championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium to just two points after Massa was awarded the victory following an illegal move by the Briton.

And now the Brazilian believes he has the momentum to go on and win the world title.

“I feel close to the title and I’ll do everything to win it,” Massa said on a video chat with Gazzetta dello Sport. “It’s the first time that I have as much a possibility to win it. The fight is intense, but I’ll do everything to win.”

Massa refused to rule out the chances of reigning world champion and Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen winning it, but with the Finn 19 points off the lead, his hopes are slim with only five races remaining.

“The fastest driver at the moment is the one in front of me in the championship. He is the one I should aim at,” Massa said, avoiding a question about Raikkonen.

Massa said he backed the 25-second penalty given to Hamilton in Belgium, thus demoting the Briton from first to third.

On the penultimate lap Hamilton passed Raikkonen, who crashed out later on the lap, by cutting the Bus Stop chicane.

And although he let the Finn briefly regain the lead on the following straight, he immediately took the Ferrari’s slipstream and passed him before the next bend.

“He didn’t have the patience to wait for another bend to attack. By cutting the chicane he gained an advantage,” Massa said. “If he had taken the [Bus Stop] chicane, it would have been impossible for him to pass Raikkonen ]before the next bend]. That’s why he got the penalty.”

McLaren have appealed against the penalty, but the International Automobile Federation has yet to set a date for a hearing.
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