Massa dwells on overtaking fears for 2017

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Felipe Massa chimed in on the debate about whether Formula 1's new rules have left the art of overtaking easier or harder.

According to the Brazilian, who ran the equivalent of two and a half race distances on Tuesday in Barcelona, his first hand experience is telling him so far that passing another car will indeed be difficult.

"This is the new Formula 1, overtaking is very difficult," said the Williams driver yesterday.

"I was 1.5 seconds faster than the Sauber but I could not pass!

"Behind me was Hulkenberg, and he was faster than me but had no chance to overtake," Massa added.

"I think we will see less overtaking this year than in the last seasons."

'Williams not on Mercedes' level', insists Massa

Massa and Williams have drawn praise from the likes Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo, while four-time world champion Alain Prost believes the pair will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

"We will see," Massa responded.

"The Mercedes is incredibly fast and I doubt that we are on par. What I can say is that it was a very positive day and the people on the team are looking a lot happier than last week," he added.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.