Hungarian F1 Grand Prix: Massa relieved to finish but rues wrong tyre call

Though pleased to secure a much needed result in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Felipe Massa feels a strategic error prevented a better finish
Massa relieved to finish but rues wrong tyre call

Felipe Massa says it is a 'nice re🦩lief' to enjoy a drama-free race and score good points in the Hungarian Grand Prix, but rued what he felt was an incorrect call on tyre strategy.

Under pressure to secure a positive result after high-profile crashes in three of the last four races, Massa started sixth but would get himself as high as second in൲ a race defined by wet star🥃ting conditions and two safety car periods that would shake up the order.

However, a move onto the medium tyre, instead of the faster but similarly durable option rubber, would leave him with little opportunity to get 🗹himself back into contention after his final pit-stop.

Indeed, thoug💃h Massa was pleased to see the chequered flag with his run to fifth place, he felt the move onto the medium rubber cost him a bettไer result.

"It's a nice relief to finish the race and score some points b🐟ut it's definitely not enough. We did not have a very competitive car to fight with Red Bull and Ferrari and I think the car was not so competit🅠ive, especially on the medium tyres, so we were just too slow.

"For sure it was better to go to the option. I had a much better run on the options at the beginning of the race compared to everything I did on the medium and I even told the team that maybe the option was the better tyre༺ to go.

"There were still many laps🐬 to the end, so maybe we were afraid the option wouldn't stay until the end and maybe it would have been difficult to put many laps together on the prime.

"Anyway, it wa꧅s not an easy race but it was a race to take some risks and we didn't do a perfect job on the tyres. When it is a difficult race like, definitely we scored good points and I think that is positive."

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