Felipe Massa heads to his home race in Brazil next weekend particularly pumped up as is the case for any driver performing on home soil.
The Williams driver, who currently stands 6th in the championship nine points adrift from team mate Valtteri Bottas, won't need any self-persuading or motivational instruction guide to get his energy flowing once exits the Interlagos pitlane.
"Playing at home is always better," Massa says. "I think it’s a really amazing feeling to race at home and to use all this energy from the people; it works. You’ve seen the football and playing at home is always better. "
When in Mexico for the return of Grand Prix racing, Massa was particularly impressed with the support Sergio Perez received from the massive home crowd, and believes F1 should race more often in places and locations where the passion and fervor is abundant.
"I think we need to race in these types of places, when you’re coming here and you see a lot of people who want to be here and they’re paying even a lot of money, for them. The idea of what they did with the stadium, I don’t like the sector as it is too slow, but I think for the people the idea is fantastic."
Away from his home country however, Felipe Massa still doesn't require much incitement to get his adrenalin flowing, admitting that after so many years at the top of the sport he still very much enjoys his racing.
“I think the most important thing for me, as a driver when you’re racing, is to compete against the others, driving the car, the adrenaline, the speed, competing against yourself."
"I think the competition, fighting against yourself with the lap time to improve, to learn things, fighting against the others, this is what gives us the pleasure. I race and this is what I love and especially when you’re successful doing that. It’s your gift and I’ve never lost that."
The 34-year-old, who lost the championship title to Lewis Hamilton on the very last lap of the 2008 Brazilian GP, admits that when his motivation begins to flinch, the time will come to call it a day.
"For sure when I understand that one of these points is not really the same as how it was, then I think it’s time to stop. I have no problem, I don’t believe I will be afraid to stop, I think I will be ok. I
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