TBK-Light.com

[lameconspiracytheorymode] Obviously that's his reward for not overtaking Alonso in Malaysia [/lameconspiracytheorymode]#

Still, if it turns out to be true, Ferrari aren't really the best at motivating underperforming drivers are they?

I'm sure Felipe needs some attention and ego massaging rather than threatening with replacemnt, but hey ho, seems like he's fighting against the tide at the moment.

Will be nice to see him racing with Rubens next year though I guess.

They may not even bother of motivating Massa anymore. Maybe they got sick of it and are already thinking about 2013, what doesn't seem to be a bad idea at all.

McLaren fielding Paffett and Turvey in the in-season test. Seems a strange decision.

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

What is that?

Everyone (I'm presuming all teams) are testing at Mugello 1-3 May...

It was announced today Formula Futuro - the racing series created by Massa to be the first step at the open wheels for brazilian drivers - has been ceased.

It really hasn't been his year has it?

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

"Formula Futuro, now you can become the next Felipe Massa!"

Is it bad that I'd never even heard of Formula Futuro?

_________________
BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

No, it isn't. This series wasn't exactly successful.

With the end of F-Renault in 2006 (Which had been brought to Brazil by Pedro Paulo Diniz) there was a gap in the brazilian open wheel series. Drivers had to leave karting and go right to South-American F-3. Then Massa decided to help putting his prestige behind a new series to help in the development of young drivers. He announced the series in 2008, right after the end of the season and the first season happened in 2010.

Unfortunately the series only lasted two seasons. The end of the series cannot be seen as a surprise. The company which organized the series claimed it had financial losses with the importing of cars from France and hiring of staffs for the teams. The field had at most 12 cars, usually 7 or 8 in most races and the series failed to attract the interest from public and sponsors.

To be very honest with you, Formula Future (it's known as Formula Abarth in some countries) was a fail since its first year.

You know what Massa's father said? "It failed because there isn't enough drivers on the market". And you know why there are few drivers around? Because there isn't any great national idol in Formula One that may become an example (with the exception of Bruno who's basically "starting right now"). You think our children see any example in Felipe Massa? They watch Massa on TV and say, "father I hate Formula 1, I'll play football, I want to be like Neymar and Messi."

That's why Formula Future didn't work.

I disagree, tbh. I think Ayrton Senna must be enough to attract new drivers. F-Future had a low cost, but in fact it's hard to do something with few drivers coming from kart and in this situation I perfectly see what the organizers say.

One of the best generations of brazilian kart drivers came up right in late 90's, when Brazil had at most Barrichello in the middle of the field and it leaded F-Renault to good seasons in the first two years of series here.

I imagine he was talking about current day.

Although I think Emmo, Piquet and Senna are good reasons to make someone go racing (and we even have cases like Pizzonia, who was a boy who never cared about F1 but got into motorsport by chance), I cannot say the statement regarding bandwagoners is false for Brazil.

The days of Senna and Piquet are too long ago to still draw young Brazilians to motorsport I guess. They are just not covered by (mass) media anylonger, unlike current succesfull drivers who make it in the news once a week and get covered by magazines and what so ever. Germany on the other side had Schumacher, during his dominating period all those now in F1 active drivers started their motorsport career, like Vettel, Hülkenberg or Sutil. So I guess it really makes a difference.

That's exactly what I meant. Some of the new generation kids already don't know much about Senna like past generations. You have to explain who Senna was, like 10 years ago you didn't need to explain, nowadays you need. And even If they understand and search about Senna, it's not like living while Senna was racing...I have the privilege to say I saw Ayrton Senna, it belongs to my childhood.

Felipe Massa belongs to the new generation childhoods and he doesn't transmit any emotion in his awful races, that's simple.

I did and he has confirmed what i thought in his post above. Current day has everything to do with it anyway, we are talking 20 years ago with the drivers who meant something to that country...

Welcome to the modern world mate......heritage? What the fuck is that!!! Is that the new Beiber song?

Current day has everything to do with it. Are you honestly suggesting that countries don't have increased interest in sports when there is someone from the nation competing, and then a bigger increase when they are successful? You can call that narrow minded if you want, but is it any more narrow minded than supporting someone simply because they were born in the same arbitrary piece of land as you?

lololol

this post is funny