SAO PAULO, Brazil - Felipe Massa was penalised for going too fast in the pits lane and drove into the McLaren garage by mistake but still sent his home crowd crazy with third in the 2014 Brazilian Formula 1 GP.
He was mobbed by a crowd of Brazilian reporters in the cramped Interlagos paddock, his young son alongside in a T-shirt declaring 'My Daddy's a Williams driver'.
As he told retired triple F1 champion and compatriot Nelson Piquet on the podium, he made so many mistakes and yet was so happy.
'GRATEFUL FOR THE PACE'
Massa said: "I had the drive-through, the five seconds for the penalty for the speed limiter. Also I stopped in the McLaren (pits) because it was similar and it just was prepared before my garage but the car was fantastic, I'm so grateful for the pace."
The podium was his second of the 2014 season with resurgent Williams, the former champions he joined after eight years at Ferrari, and first in front of his home crowd since he finished third in 2012.
His last win, in 2008, when he missed winning the Drivers' title by one point, was also at Interlagos.
He said after finishing behind Mercedes title rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton: "I think the race was amazing... everything that happened in my race today."
He explained that when he braked at the pits-lane entry he pressed the speed limiter but it didn't work properly and he had to brake again.
MCLAREN MIX-UP
Massa said: "I stopped in the McLaren (pits) because they changed our garage at this race and we are a lot more in the middle and McLaren with the similar colour - not white but, you know - I thought it was our garage."
Massa said: "It's amazing. The whole energy that I had this weekend, it's difficult to explain. Difficult to explain the emotion."
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