Massa: 'I thought I was finished'
2013-01-18 10:04
TEARS FOR FEARS: Felipe Massa feared his Formula 1 career was over after a dismal 2012 championship season. Image: AFP
Felipe Massa feared his Formula 1 career was finished in 2012 and consulted a sports psychologist to help him overcome his problems at Ferrari.
Massa told the BBC, in an interview at his team's winter "Wrooom" media event in the Italian Dolomites, that he had considered stopping.
'I THOUGHT I WAS FINISHED'
The 2008 championship runner-up returned to racing after a near-fatal head injury suffered in 2009.
He said: "Yeah. I thought about so many things. I thought maybe I was finished. I thought about not staying in Ferrari. I did not know what would happen. So many things were inside my brain.
"I talked to everyone but I also did work with a professional psychologist, sporting psychologist.
"That was just the beginning. After that I was able to change the direction to think, the direction to work and I think it was like training I did. I think my family helps, definitely 100%."
TEPID FIRST HALF
Massa had an abject first half of 2012, scoring just 23 points by the half-way point compared to team mate Fernando Alonso's 154.
He had a far better second half, ending with a final tally of 122 points and securing a one-year extension after Ferrari had considered replacing him.
Massa said Alonso, a double champion, was the toughest team mate he had ever had including seven times world champion Michael Schumacher.
Massa said: "I think I had more difficult times with Fernando, so I would say Fernando was the strongest team mate for me. You learn with everybody. I learnt a lot with Michael, with Kimi (Raikkonen in 2007-9) and Fernando."
