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Emotional Massa 'took punches'

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Felipe Massa has revealed that he thought about quitting during his tumultuous 2012 Formula 1 season.

Th Brazilian, 31, was visibly emotional on the podium in his native Brazil after Sunday's final GP of 2012.

He had a bad start to his 2012 campaign; indeed, he's had a pretty fallow time since suffering a severe head injury in 2009 that nearly cost him his left eye but recovered some form in the last half-dozen races of 2012.

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Former F1 driver Marc Surer told Speed Week: "The reason (for the turnaround) is twofold. First, even a rock such as Alonso is not endlessly resilient. The title fight against Vettel, usually with a slower car, exhausted him. I also believe a number of improvements to the Ferraris matched Massa's style of driving better than that of Alonso."

Whatever the reasons, Massa has pulled his F1 career back from the brink to secure a new deal for 2013.

"First of all I was on the podium, which is a great emotion," Massa told Sportv's Bem Amigos programme, "but I think I was crying more because of the difficulties than the joys.

"I've taken a lot of punches, even thought for a moment 'do I want to do this?' I'd started to think above my head, which had gone into space, but behind the podium I was normal - I was congratulating Vettel, enjoying the moment - but the minute I looked at all the stands screaming my name, my wife, my family, my friends, all my mechanics, my team... then I fell (into crying)."
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