Massa happy to reunite with 'great fans' in Hungary

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It certainly isn't the venue which offers Felipe Massa the best of memories, but the Brazilian always returns to the Hungaroring with great pleasure.

In 2009, Massa suffered a freak accident in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix when he was hit and knocked unconscious by a spring which had detached from the Brawn of Rubens Barrichello.

The Brazilian, who was driving for Ferrari at the time, suffered a fractured skull and almost lost his left eye, but eventually made a full recovery although the injury put him on the sidelines for the remainder of the 2009 season.

Despite the painful memory, Massa holds nothing against the Hungarian track, and admits the accident generated over time a wave of support from local fans.

"It's a track that I have quite a history with personally," he said.

"As a result I have great fans there that properly support me, they follow me everywhere and always have presents for me. It's great to come back there and spend time with them."

As far as next weekend's race is concerned, the Williams driver will be dealing with the same challenges as his rivals around the twisty and difficult track.

"As far as the circuit is concerned, it is a place where you need good downforce with the short straights and many turns out there.

"It's also quite hard on the tires, so if you have good downforce it works very well for you."

While Williams' relative performance has faded recently, Massa also underlines the momentum regained by Red Bull, its closest rival.

"I think the biggest change [this year] is related to the Red Bull, they have improved a lot.

"Definitely last year the Red Bull had the better car in terms of chassis compared to us, even here, but they didn't have a good engine.

"So now the engine improved a lot and they have even improved more the car I would say, so they are in front in the championship and fighting on some of the tracks, even Mercedes, so definitely they are in front of us.

"So when you are third in the championship some of the races are even better than Ferrari and then now you are fourth, so for sure it is more difficult, it's clear."

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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.