Massa to TOIT!!!!

minardirule

According to www.pitpass.com this has just been officially announced for 2006!!!

Can't quite believe it myself but there you go. Should be interesting anyway.

Also confirmed on Reuters



[Edited on 2/8/2005 by minardirule]

Selespeed

Let the games begin! It's been a public secret that Massa only drove for sauber on Ferrari's behalve, so his switch to Ferrari doesn't really come as surprise; The timing however, does! ;)

manlio27

But now I wonder, for what Massa has shown in the 46 F1 GPs he has raced so far, why should TOIT want to give to give one of its cars to him!!!!!:o:rolleyes::hehe:

xiola

... and a follow up to Malio's question -

Why don't they give the ride to Luca Badoer for 1 season???!!!!! Surely he's earned it, and he is just as quick as Massa....!!!!!!!!!


The injustice continues. I'll never cheer for the scarlet team.

dst

I think Badoer is comfy pounding around Fiorano. As for Massa, it's all in the Family. Now all that's left is for Button to don his unloved Williams gear so Rubens can join BAR.

Neil_s

Ferrari don't want an Italian driver in the hot seat as the pressure will be very great for him to achieve results.

this move confirms all of this...

Manni

Well this is the start to the most boring seat movement in history.

Everyone knows that

Rubens will go to BAR
Jensen will go to Williams
Hiedfield will go to Sauber
and Massa who has gone to Ferrari already.

Can they all announce it so we can go back to sleep.

Looks like there will be more action at the back of the grid.

Stan

... and a follow up to Malio's question -

Why don't they give the ride to Luca Badoer for 1 season???!!!!! Surely he's earned it, and he is just as quick as Massa....!!!!!!!!!


The injustice continues. I'll never cheer for the scarlet team.

I also think Badoer is happy where he is. As far as I know, he earns more than Barichello.

Murph

I like Massa a lot....... and believe he will do well at Ferrari. He will have another year learning from Schumacher and will be in place as a strong number 2 for either Kimi or Fred in 2007.

Manni

Massa's driving style is so different to Michaels that I doubt he'll be able to perform.

MS is smooth and Massa tugs. Well they are the rumours at least.....

Brooksey

Massa's driving is similar to that of Schumacher when he started in Formula 1. Michael's driving at Benetton was incredible - he didn't just drive the car, he faught with the track. By the look of it, Massa shares similar qualities to Schumacher. The problem for Massa is current F1 cars require the driver to be precise and sharp, something which Michael has adapted to. Massa coming on board now at the foot of Schmacher means he can learn to adapt the way Michael has, and then who knows. If the car performs, he just may find himself in contention for a World title.

salvo

So, it's official Schumi-Massa in 2006
The importance of having the right manager (Massa's is Todt's son)
according to italian press ferrari's aim is to get for 2007 raikkonen and Valentino Rossi.
Il dottore tested the red car again on monday.

Petroltorque

I have to disagree with you, Murph on the Massa front. The guy is several divisions below what TOIT will require next year.
If Schumacher faces another season in a below par car, he won't be able to rely on Massa to provede support.
Interestingly Sauber has been relying on Villeneuve's technical input to improve the handling of their car. That tells us all we need to know about Massa.
I agree that TOIT will try to poach a top line driver after 06. I don't see Raikkonen moving, TOIT don't have the spending power of previous seasons and Rossi is not going to be on the pace from day one.

Jello_Biafra

A warning to everyone: Don't argue with Murph about Massa. He will not back down.

Game on! :hehe:

Murph

Jello
hahahahaha....... I'm just a stubborn old fool........ as ya already know !

Petroltorque

From what I understood, Massa proved to be a very pleasant surprise when he served his year as a Ferrari test driver. As for Vileneuve, Sauber learned very early this year that Massa was superior to Jacques in testing, remember when they sent jacques home and brought Massa down to Spain to test new pieces, but then again Jacques has never been thought of as a superior test driver. My guess (and that is all it is) is that Massa's role for 2006 will be to learn about being a proper F1 driver at the feet of Schumacher..... with all the intangiables facing F1 teams in 2006, not sure that he will be expected to be a consistent podium finisher...... I think of him as being a 1996/97 Irvine reincarnation, a driver who was taught to be a good test driver and to work on consistency in the racing department.

Again, only a guess on my part and time will tell if I'm on to something ( or I've BEEN ON something )....... I am pulling for Massa...... Ger will remember when Massa was not intimitated by JPM going through Eau Rouge last year at Spa....I met him this year in the Indy paddock when the MCSF gang was running amuck through the place...... seemed to be a very nice kid and spent a little time with my son and my self....autographed some pics I had taken of him at Imola that now grace my grandsons bedroom......

MCSF

I think TOIT is on dope. I'm with P Torque on this one.

Murph

Emmo

I had forgotten your feelings about Massa...... now I am even MORE confident that the Scuderia made a good choice !!!
hehehe......

Petroltorque

You pay your money and you take your choice. There was an interesting story doing the rounds when Massa was the TOIT test driver. Apparently the Bridgestone Engineers were so infuriated with the quality of his input thatthey brought two identical tyre compounds and asked him to evaluate them.
Needless to say his ananlysis was widely varying on both compounds.

silverghost

TOIT don't need a development driver - they've got others to do that. They need someone who will drive around whatever setup is put on the car to suit Schumacher (and later his replacement). As an instinctive driver, Massa may do well in these circumstances.