'Old boy' Massa happy with race and performance

The 'unretired' Felipe Massa still loves his racing after a spirited drive to 6th in Melbourne as the Brazilian and Williams comfortably headed the mid-field runners.

Massa's feat at the outset was getting past Haas' Romain Grosjean, and then just keeping it going from there as he pretty much raced alone.

"To be honest I'm happy with the result. Not bad for an old boy!" joked the F1 veteran.

"It was a good race today. I knew that Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes had cars that we're quicker than us.

"Not happy for Daniel (Ricciardo) to have all those issues in his home race, but that's the way it is and I'm happy to gain a position from that.

"The race was really good, I managed to pass Grosjean. It was the most important thing for me, and I did it at the start.

"After that. I would say that I raced alone from the beginning to the end. The pace was quite consistent so everything worked really well, so I'm happy with the result to be honest."

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While Williams certainly profited from the misfortunes of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, Massa still believes the team's result is a reflection of its performance level.

"To fight with the three teams in front wasn't possible for us today. Fighting with all the guys behind was, definitely. And we did.

"We were quicker in the race, we were more competitive, even in qualifying. The only car there was Grosjean, and I don't know where he got that lap. So I'm really confident we can fight with these guys."

Massa was just another driver to chime in on the difficulties linked with racing close to another car and overtaking, a recurring theme in Melbourne since the action got underway on Friday.

"The you are driving the car is quite fun, but overtaking is definitely more difficult," concluded the Brazilian.

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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.